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The advent of the Hero Indian Super League was called the awakening of the “sleeping giant” by the global football fraternity as the league will see the re-birth of India as a footballing nation. Since the golden days in the 1950s, India’s presence in Asian and Global football has diminished by the day. But ISL seems to be the perfect shot in the arm for Indian Football to get back to its better days.
Apart from the glitter and glamour that the ISL brings to the table, a major question mark about the league was whether it will throw up some real local gems. The ISL in its very first season was able to achieve that as the likes of Sandesh Jhingan got their due appreciation which the I-League otherwise failed to provide.
Looking ahead to Season Two, we take a look some of the players who could possibly take the league by storm. In Mumbai City’s Brandon Fernandes, there is one such potential superstar who could just be waiting to take off. Thriving in the shadows of Nicolas Anelka and Sunil Chhetri, Brandon Fernandes has all the right people to look up to.
Background
Born in the football adoring state of Goa and just a few miles away from its footballing cathedral, the Fatorda Stadium, Brandon came into the world with football already running in his veins. Growing up with his brother and father who played football at the local level, Brandon started his journey from within his own backyard.
Nurtured well by his Kabaddi playing mother, Brandon started playing competitive football since he was seven for a team named Fransa-Pax before finding his way into the youth set-up of Salgaocar where he represented the club’s U-14, U-16 and U-19 teams during his time there.
Brandon’s career took a turn for the good when he enrolled for ASD Academy in South Africa. Brandon recalls his time in Cape Town to be a great learning experience, playing with good quality players and training under top quality coaches. His time in South Africa helped in sharpening his talent.
After spending three years in South Africa and almost reaching the Premier League after trials at Leicester, Reading, and Sunderland, injury forced Brandon to remain in India.
But his talent couldn’t remain under covers for too long as Sporting Club de Goa came calling and signed him to play for their first team in the I-League last season. Brandon was quick to leave an impression in his debut season in the top flight as he helped Sporting Club de Goa escape from the clutches of relegation.
His efforts were rewarded as he was picked up by Mumbai City FC in the ISL Players draft to play in Season Two.
Strengths
Brandon is an attacking midfielder who can play out wide and also up front, making him an asset to any side which has him. Brandon is very quick and has a trick or two up his sleeve to surprise the opponents. There are many players who can run with the ball and slip in an odd killer pass every now and then, but Brandon’s ability to do it more consistently and also get into scoring positions to score plenty of goals makes him more than a handful for defenders.
Mumbai City FC coach Nicolas Anelka has been extremely impressed by Brandon and complimented him by saying he felt at ease while playing with him. “Brandon is a very good player. He has very big quality. He is quick and is clever and is very easy to play with. I have played with him up front in training and it was very easy as he understands everything,” said the ex-Chelsea striker.
Weaknesses
Brandon is still young and even if he has a good footballing brain, he is yet to completely mature as a football player. However fleet-footed he may seem, Brandon needs to be a bit more built if he is to be a success in high profile leagues such as the ISL. If he can add some brute strength to his artistic play, he could go up a level.
Tactically, Brandon has to learn some more and needs to do the dirty work a lot more. All the top attacking players are renowned for what they do in front of the goal, but very few acknowledge the work they do when they are not on the ball. Brandon needs to add a defensive side to his game and help his defense out a lot more.
The ISL seems like the perfect platform for the 21-year-old to go up that next level.
Future Prospect: How far can Brandon go in his career?
From what we have seen, Brandon Fernandes is a star in the making. Aged 21, there are very few Indian players who would have received so much of praise coming from a man like Nicolas Anelka. Playing with Anelka, and other top players at Mumbai City FC, Brandon will be expected to add a lot to his game.
“Getting a chance to play in the ISL was huge for me. I am getting a chance to play with Anelka and Chhetri, who are top quality players. I’m sure I will come out of ISL a better player,” said Brandon speaking at the Mumbai City FC’s open training session yesterday.
The Mumbai City FC player-manager Nicolas Anelka believes Brandon has a great future ahead of him and is glad to have him play for Mumbai City FC. “Brandon for his age is so good. He is still young and can become a top player. We are glad to have him at Mumbai City FC as he is going to be a great player for us in the future. I’m sure it’s not long before he plays for India and that’s great for Indian Football,” said former French International.
