Banyana Banyana defender Nothando Vilakazi says that after her short stint in Lithuania for Gintra Universitates, she received several offers but took her time as she waiting for the right one.
“I think I gave a good account of myself in Lithuania, and it did not come as a surpirse when the offers came through, but I wanted to be sure that the next move is a step up my career – so I had to wait for the right offer,” said an excited Vilakazi.
And it happened this past week when she was snapped up by Spanish side EDF Logroño for the 2020/2021 season.
Escuelas de Fútbol de Logroño (Logroño Football Schools) – is a Spanish women’s football club based in Logrono and currently plays in the Primera Division.
Logrono is the capital of La Rioja, a tiny region four hours north of Madrid, perfectly situated between cities like Bilbao, Pamplona, San Sebastián, Burgos and Zaragoza.
They won the Regional Division in the 2011/12 season. In 2018 they were promoted to the Primera Division. They were seventh on the table when the league was stopped due to the corona virus pandemic.
Vilakazi is currently at home in South Africa waiting for her Visa application to be processed before she jets off to join her new teammates. Their new league season starts in September.
“I can’t wait to get that side, I am itching to get back on the field after the whole world was sidelined by Covid-19. I am so happy and excited that I have been able to secure this move to Spain, which is one of the top leagues when it comes to women’s football,” said Vilakazi.
“I am confident this new venture will, without doubt, improve my football, which in return will benefit the national team immensely.”
Vivo, as she is fondly known to her friends and teammates, says she knows she has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
“All the players who are based abroad are ambassadors and we need to set good examples and standards for those that are back home or those that will follow in our footsteps, so yes there is a lot of pressure on all of us – but it is the kind that motivates us to well and represent our country in a most outstanding way. To be honest, I am excited and nervous at the same time – excited about the move, but also nervous that I am going to a new country, which means new beginnings. This is a really a dream come true,” added Vivo.
“I am confident this will help Banyana Banyana to be stronger as we now have several players moving abroad – I believe, though, that more players should join overseas teams for the benefit of women’s football in South Africa. Let’s just hope that what we are doing will open more doors for the talent we have in our country.”
Vivo becomes the second Banyana Banyana player to sign for an overseas club in recent times. She follows hot on the heels of forward Jermaine Seoposenwe who put pen to paper when she moved from Spain (Real Betis) to Portugual to be on the books of Sporting Braga.
Both players were together in Lithuania
