While the President’s Cup ended in defeat for Oxford United in Sunday's final, overall, the start to the 2025/26 season provided some real bright sparks going into the Championship campaign.
With an opportunity to embed a new face into the group and give an opportunity to some of the Club’s Youth Academy, there were lots to take from the three games in Indonesia.
Starting off with a 6-3 win in Jakarta over Indonesia All Star, it was the first opportunity to see new signing Brian De Keersmaecker, the Belgian midfielder who joined from Heracles in the Netherlands. His first appearance showcased what he can offer, scoring arguably United’s goal of the tour, with a thunderous strike from range.
It was also a notable game for Mark Harris, who played the first 45 minutes, scoring twice to get up and running for the season. The Wales international striker ended up with three goals across the tournament, with another strike in the final against Port FC, and ended up with the Golden Boat.
The opening game also saw Tom Bradshaw get his first for the Club, while Przemyslaw Placheta scored another stunner for this collection, in front of more than 40,000 supporters in the national stadium.
The team then moved to Bandung to take on Arema FC from Indonesia, running in a comfortable 4-0 win. With the hype around Marselino Ferdinan and Ole Romeny, the Dutch-born forward gave the adoring fans a moment to cherish as he grabbed the second goal with a wonderful volley, before unfortunately going off injured.
The players from the Youth Academy had their chance to make their mark across the tour, and the Club’s youngest-ever player, Leo Snowden, had the biggest influence, scoring his first goal for the Club and winning the Young Player of the Tournament award.
Also, in the Arema game, Gatlin O’Donkor, another youth graduate, scored a powerful header, with Aaron Lacey, Louis Griffiths and Richard McIntrye all performing well.
The team now head back to the UK for four pre-season fixtures, and three at the Kassam against Bristol Rovers, CD Leganes and Malaga.
Make sure you’re there to see the team’s continued progress, to get a first glimpse of Brian and Brodie Spencer, and see the young boys develop.
