Spain-based Leandra Smeda, says she hasn’t given up hope of being recalled to the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana squad.
The long-serving versatile midfielder is currently on the books of Dux Logrono in Spain, whom she joined on a one-year contract in July last year.
With the women’s football season over in Europe, the Capetonian is contemplating her next move as her contract has come to an end.
While her compatriot, Noko Matlou was fighting for promotion into the elite league, Dux Logrono was in a battle to make the play-offs.
Barcelona B Women won the league, with Matlou’s SD Eibar grabbing the second spot and automatic promotion as Barcelona B cannot be promoted as they have a team in top flight football in Spain.
This means teams in positions 3 (Deportivo La Coruna – 53 points), 4 (Osasuna – 52), 5 (Granada – 50) and 6 (Cacereño – 48) are in the play-offs to determine which one will join Eibar in the higher division.
After starting the season well, and hovering around the third and fourth place early on, Dux Logrono dropped valuable points towards the end.
In their last five matches, their form was even more worrying: LLLDD
They finished on the eighth spot with 11 wins, 10 draws, and nine losses after 30 rounds of fixtures. They could only get to 43 points, four behind seventh-placed SE AEM.
In the next few weeks, Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis is expected to announce her final squad of players for the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World in Australia and New Zealand (from 20 July to 20 August), Smeda is keeping hope alive about returning to the national team.
She received her last call-up in November 2019 when South Africa faced Japan in an international friendly match away in Fukuoka – the same match where she celebrated her 100 appearances for her country.
Chomi, as she is referred to by her peers, missed out on the giant-killing act of her compatriots in Morocco last year when they won the elusive CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time ever – but she was in the squad that finished second in Ghana a year earlier.
Smeda has gathered a lot of experience abroad after being on the books of
Famalicão (Portugal), Vittsjo (Sweden), Gintra Universitates (Lithuania) and now recently Dux Logrono in Spain.
In South Africa she was running out for the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in the elite women’s league – the Hollywoodbets Super League.
She has also represented her country at the Olympic Games (Rio 2019) and the ultimate for every footballer – the FIFA Women’s World Cup (France 2019).
CentreCircle.online reached to Smeda in Spain to find out what went wrong with their season and what her next move is:
End of the season, finished 8th but outside play-offs spot. How would you describe the club’s season?
A bit of inconsistency, we would play well for a couple of games and then drop form for the next couple of games. We could’ve easily qualified for the playoffs because the log was so tight in terms of points but we lost a few games that we should’ve won, but that’s football for you, very unpredictable. We also had a change in the Coaching staff – we got a new head coach with the last 4 remaining games and it took a bit of adjusting to his style of coaching and play for the team I think.
And what about your season personally?
I think I had a better season compared to my previous one – I suffered one minor injury but that’s part of the sport. I also played in different positions throughout the season which I’m happy with, it shows my versatility is still there. Overall I’m happy with the amount of minutes I got to play after coming back from an Achilles tendon rupture injury that took long to completely recover from.
Do you feel you achieved what you wanted when you left UWC?
Yes I do, when I first returned to UWC (in the Hollywoodbets Super League) I was still in the rehabilitation process of my Achilles injury, so I didn’t play much during that time. But at the start of the new season last year I still didn’t get much game time, so when the move to Spain materialised I told myself that I want to improve on my game time at my new club and I managed to do that.
You had signed until the end of the year – are you sticking around, going back home or look for another adventure elsewhere?
As soon as the club release us I will return home and let my agent do some work.
Are you open to returning to the Hollywoodbets Super league, if yes, which team? Still UWC?
For now, no – I want to see if I can secure another move here in Europe. The summer window this side is open and I will wait and see what comes up. In the meantime, I will be having an active rest just in case an opportunity comes along. I will leave everything to my agent who is already hard at work.
Noko (Matlou) has won promotion back to the top division, have you had a chance to speak to her about this achievement?
Yes briefly, we had chat on the day they gained promotion. I am so proud of her, they really worked hard for it, and I wish her all the best next season.
On national team matters, you haven’t been called for training camps for a quite a long time now, with the World Cup coming up, do you still have hopes of making it?
Of course I do. I am a strong believer, at the same time I have told myself that if it happens I will be happy, but if it doesn’t, I guess it was not meant to be.
You were part of the squad in 2019 in France, so you know what the team will be up against, what’s your message to the team?
The games will be tough, no doubt, but it will also be a great experience for all involved – whether it is your first time or the second time. Just go out there and give your best. And remember to enjoy every moment.
By Matlhomola Morake
