WHO said South Africans can’t play Champions League football?
For the first time in the tournament’s history, Mzansi will have five players in the Uefa Women’s Champions League set to start with the qualifying rounds on 7 August.
This will be a record considering that even Bafana Bafana have never had five players in Champions League at the same time.
The players who will be playing in the top club championships are Rhoda Mulaudzi of Apollon Ladies FC, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Nothando “Vivow” Vilakazi of Gintra-Universitetas, Letago Madiba and Rachel Sebati, who recently joined ZFK Minsk.
This will bring a number of Banyana players who have played in the tournament to seven, adding the likes of Nompumelelo Nyandeni and Leandra Smeda.
Last year Smeda became the first SA player to score a Champions League goal.
Without a doubt, the experience of these players with their different clubs, will contribute positively to Desiree Ellis’ team in continental and world tournaments.
Both Madiba and Sebati are the latest players to join overseas clubs after completing their overseas moves on Monday from Tshwane University of Technology women’s team, which lost in the finals of the Maimane Alfred Phiri Games on Sunday.
Talking to SunSport yesterday, the pair revealed how their move to ZFK Minsk in the Belarusian Women’s Premier League came about.
“TUT assistant coach Nadia Kroll asked if I’m keen to go for trails in Belarus because the team (FC Minsk) is looking for a midfielder, striker and a defender,” explained Madiba.
She went on: “She (Kroll) mentioned it was an emergency as the team wanted us to come as soon as possible because they want to prepare for Champions league. Rachel (Sebati) and I had three days to make the decision to take the risk to move.
“I am extremely happy, to play in one of the biggest tournaments Champions League I am looking forward to it.”
Madiba also revealed that she nearly called it quits last year as she wanted permanent job.
She said: “Childhood dream of playing overseas has been reached. I actually gave up football to seek employment last year but coach Tebogo Mokae had to convince me to just finish the 2018 season which I did. I was then given a chance to go to Spain in February, where I spent a month with two Spanish clubs which returned my confidence. Now God has granted me this Belarus opportunity.”
