One club, three seasons, seven trophies – and all of these far away from home!
What a good story to tell.
And that tale belongs to Banyana Banyana defender Lebogang Ramalepe.
She has now called time on her adventures with FC Dinamo Minsk in Eastern Europe after her contract expired.
Hailing from Ga-Maupa in Limpopo, Ramalepe did not foresee that she would be this successful and last long in the bitterly cold landlocked country bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest.
“Passion, dedication and hard work kept me going – and also thinking long and hard about why I was there, what I wanted to achieve and how much I wanted to play abroad,” she said from her home in Limpopo.
The latest trophy is the league title – her third in succession, while the other four were in cup competitions, making it seven in total.
But now Jumaima, as she is commonly known to her friends, is looking for a new challenge.
“Look, I served my time in Belarus, I believe I did well and it is now time to move on. After three seasons, where I never put a foot wrong, I would like to go and challenge myself elsewhere,” she added.
But she is satisfied with her time in the freezing country and learnt a lot that will help her face other challenges head on in future.
“I enjoyed myself while I was there and also learned valuable lessons. For a player coming from Limpopo and hold my own in Europe is no mean feat. I have had to withstand the cold weather and being away from home for long periods, but here I am, I survived. All this taught me patience, hard work and perseverance, because for me to play I had to work hard and when I wasn’t playing I had to have patience and to persevere in freezing conditions,” she said.
“Over and above that, I learnt of professionalism – something very important if you want to succeed in this game.”
The 31-year old right back joined FC Dinamo Minsk in 2020 after spending time on the books of Kanatla Ladies before moving to Ma-Indies Ladies – helping the latter gain promotion to the Hollywoodbets Super League in 2019 while wearing the captain’s armband. She was also named Player of the Tournament.
The defender should not be short of offers as she was part of the Banyana Banyana squad that won the 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations when they defeated hosts Morocco 2-1 in a pulsating final to lift their maiden continental title.
Ramalepe was however left out of the national team’s last international friendly match of the year when Desiree Ellis’ charges travelled to London for a date with 2023 FIFA World Cup co-hosts Australia. South Africa lost 4-1.
“Look, you cannot be sad or even look at that negatively. We all know that the national team has no permanent players. I love playing for my country but I also know that players come and go and maybe the coach wanted to try something different with other players – so what I have to do to is, as soon as I am over my injury, keep on working hard and do what I do best. Also bear in mind also that at the end of the day, the coach makes the final decision,” said Ramalepe.
When she left for Belarus, her province of Limpopo had only one team in the Hollywoodbets Super League – now there are three representatives, First Touch FC, Ma-Indies and newcomers Copperbelt Ladies.
The latter was recently crowned the 2022 Sasol League National Champs after defeating Tuks Ladies in the final held in October in Polokwane.
Both sides were promoted to the elite women’s league for the upcoming season, replacing the relegated Golden Ladies from North West and Tsunami Queens from the Free State.
“I’m very happy, it’s good for the province because for the past two seasons of the Hollywoodbets Super League, Gauteng has had more teams than any other province (UJ Ladies, JVW, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies and TUT) – even though they have added another on in the form of Tuks Ladies,” said Ramalepe.
“But this can only mean that my province is doing something right and we must continue in that direction as I know we have plenty of talent and now more players will be exposed to the high level of the game. My only advice is that Copperbelt should continue with the same bravery they displayed in the Sasol League Play-offs and not be afraid of any team, then half the job is done. I can only wish them well in the new season.”
After being away from home for three seasons, Ramalepe still yearns to return abroad and is contemplating her next move.
But for now she is managing her ACL injury – which she sustained towards the end of the season – while taking a much-needed break after a long and hectic season.
While sitting at home and recuperating, Jumaima is also thinking of ways she would like to help with the growth of the game in her province – financially or with some other skill.
“That is uppermost on my mind – to come back after my playing days and plough back to the community. I was helped to get to where I am today, and I want to do the same for the upcoming players. But that is part of my future plans, for now I will just enjoy the holidays, plan my next move and in the midst of that, recover well so I can be back on the field,” she concluded.
Lebogang Ramalepe Top Honours
- 2013 Sasol League Championship Runners-up (Ma-Indies)
- 2014 WAFCON 4th place
- 2016 Rio Olympics
- 2017 COSAFA Cup Champions
- 2018 Cyprus Cup 6th place
- 2018 COSAFA Cup Champions
- 2018 WAFCON 2nd Place
- 2018 WAFCON named in CAF best XI
- 2019 Captained Ma-Indies to promotion into the Hollywoodbets Super League
- 2022 WAFCON Champion
By Matlhomola Morake
