Thubelihle Shamase has become the latest South African woman football player to move abroad – and has signed her first professional contract.
The former Sunflower WFC (Sasol League – KwaZulu Natal) and University of Johannesburg (Hollywoodbets Super League) forward has been snatched by FC Gintra Universitetas in Lithuania.
She is now the fourth player of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana team to join the Eastern European club, following in the footsteps of Leandra Smeda, who was with the team in 2018, followed by Jermaine Seoposenwe and Nothando Vilakazi in 2019.
Shamase has spent the past two seasons with UJ Ladies and walked away with the Hollywoodbets Super League Top Goal Scorer award last season with 22 goals to her name.
“We are very excited with this move for one of us, it means a lot to see such happen and gives hope to the rest of the group that anything is possible, if you put your heart and mind to it. We are confident she will make it. Congratulations to her and we’re very happy and proud of her. The twins are talented and they have the drive.,” said Nthabeleng ‘Dunga’ Modiko, Thubelihle’s coach of UJ Ladies.
Thubelihle, together with her twin sister, Sphumelele hasn’t been involved with UJ Ladies FC since the start of the 2024 league campaign, as they were preparing for the move abroad. Sphesihle is expected to travel to Lithuania soon to join her sister.
Thubelihle, who was unveiled by her club on Friday, 22 March 2024, has risen through the levels of all the national teams – U17, U20 and now Banyana Banyana.
She will be wearing jersey number six at her European club.
The forward joins a side that kicked off the league season last weekend with a win and she could make her debut on Sunday, 24 March against MFA Žalgirio-MRU.
“We had holes in the offensive line, and we worked hard to fill them at the beginning of the season. The South African national team is extremely good, and it is not easy for player to be invited to represent the national team. We are happy that Shamase can now be called a full member of the team (FC Gintra), and we are looking forward to her debut”, said Club director Mantas Radavičius in a statement, adding that “despite her young age, Thubelihle has high-level and important match experience, and is also an individually capable player who can solve situations.”
Last year she won the Silver Boot for coming second in the Top Goal Scorer accolade in the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship after scoring five goals, despite South Africa’s early exit from the tournament.
Thubelihle was also the only South African nominated in the CAF Young Player of Year for 2023 alongside nine other top players from the African continent, but she missed out on a win.
The 22-year-old was one of the standby players for Banyana Banyana for the 2022 TotalEnergies CAF Women Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco.
She has also lifted the winners’ trophy as she helped UJ lift the FNB Varsity Football Cup as well as the University Sport Africa (USSA) Football Championship in 2022.
Thubelihle has also represented her country at a World Cup after being named in the 2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay under Head Coach Simphiwe Dludlu.
By Matlhomola Morake
