Camilo has only featured in two competitive matches for Qormi but his extraordinary impact has been such that he has already become the darling of the club's passionate fans and the envy of the other teams in the Premier League.

The statistics tell the whole story about Camilo's fairytale start to his career in Maltese football as the nimble Brazilian forward has netted four goals in two matches and been named man of the match on both occasions.

No wonder Camilo's name is on the lips of every follower of the local game after the 21-year-old followed up his debut goal in the 1-0 victory over Sliema Wanderers with a hat-trick in Qormi's 3-0 success over Msida St Joseph last weekend.

These are still early days but Camilo's scoring exploits have already gone some way towards vindicating coach Jesmond Zerafa's decision to wait until the final week of the August transfer window to recruit his third foreign player after the Qormi coach had confirmed Brazilian defender Ramon Dos Santos and Nigerian striker Alfred Effiong.

Camilo's scintillating form has also aroused curiosity among many enthusiasts as to how the Brazilian ended up playing for Qormi.

Thanks to the kind co-operation of Ramon, who acted as our translator, The Times yesterday spoke to Camilo about his experience in Maltese football so far.

"Bizu (the former Floriana and Sliema striker) was the contact between Qormi and Camilo," Ramon replied to my question about the Brazilian striker's move to the Premier League club.

"I played with Camilo two years ago and when Qormi told me that they were looking to sign a good striker, I recommended him to the coach."

Like most of his peers, Camilo's dream is to play in one of the top leagues and Malta's proximity to mainland Europe was the main reason why he chose to link up with Qormi.

"In the future, I'd like to play in one of the top leagues in Europe," Camilo said. "And because Malta is so close to Europe, I believe that this move is good for my career because by playing here, I will have a better chance of moving on to a bigger country."

Camilo, who was on the books of Brazilian club Alaguano Corinthians, is justifiably pleased with his performances for Qormi so far.

"I'm pleased with how I played in my first two games for Qormi but I know that I can do better," Camilo remarked. "I want to improve. Scoring a hat-trick against Msida gave me great satisfaction but I also want to prove myself when Qormi play against the top teams."

Qormi have just started their second season in the Premier League but Camilo's comments shed a positive light about their set-up.

"I'm happy that the club have made things easy for me since I came to Malta," Camilo remarked. "They've made great efforts to ensure that I'm settled and comfortable living here."

Seven points from their first three league games have raised optimism about Qormi's chances of mounting a strong challenge for a berth in the Championship Pool. Camilo and Ramon, who has recently signed a new three-year contract with the club, believe that Qormi can have a really good season.

"I think Qormi can challenge for high targets this season," Camilo said. "With a bit of luck, we can also fight for the title because in football, nothing is impossible. I know that it's tough for us to stay in the title race but we have a very good squad and our start to the season has been extremely positive.

"We must first concentrate on our bid to qualify for the Championship Pool and once we achieve that, we can start to think about challenging for a place in Europe."

Ramon offered a more cautious view. "This is my second year with Qormi and the first season was very difficult for the team," the towering Brazilian defender said.

"I'm confident that we can make the Championship Pool this season but to be really competitive, we need to be more consistent. I'm convinced that Qormi can also give a stern challenge to the big teams, the likes of Valletta and Birkirkara, this season."

Maltese football

For Camilo, who grew up supporting Santos but dreams of playing for Real Madrid, the level of Maltese football is "quite good".

"The level of the Premier League is quite good," Camilo said. "OK, it's different from Brazil where football is more technical but here, there's more emphasis on tactics."

Camilo has inked a one-year deal with Qormi but, judging by his current form, it's a matter of when not if a foreign club makes an approach to sign him.

"My intention is to honour the contract I've signed with Qormi," Camilo said. "If, in January, an interesting opportunity comes along, I will speak to the club and we will evaluate the offer together."

Qormi fans will surely hope that Camilo stays put as his talent can propel the club to new heights this season.

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