Ode Fulutudilu

Ode Fulutudilu (born 6 February 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Spanish Liga F club Real Betis and the South Africa women's national team. She has previously played for clubs in South Africa, Finland, Spain, Scotland, and France. She made her debut for South Africa in 2014 and was a member of their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup squad. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she and her family initially arrived in South Africa as refugees.

Ode Fulutudilu
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-02-06) 6 February 1990
Place of birth Kinshasa, Zaire
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Real Betis
Number 2
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Lee Flames 19 (4)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Lolvido Rapids
AIS
Cape Town Angels
Spurs Ladies
2018 ONS 22 (15)
2019 Málaga 10 (1)
2020 Åland United 16 (7)
2021–2022 Glasgow City 10 (7)
2022–2023 FC Fleury 91 10 (1)
2023– Real Betis 3 (0)
International career‡
2014– South Africa 10 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 March 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 October 2014

Early life

Ode Fulutudilu was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on 6 February 1990. When she was three years old, her family left the country due to unrest and went to neighbouring Angola as refugees, before moving on to Cape Town in South Africa the following year. Fulutudilu's father was unable to find work in South Africa and eventually returned to Angola, but left her behind as he felt she would have a better future there. She subsequently grew up in a children's home. Having become interested in football when she watched the South Africa men's national team playing in the 1998 World Cup, she joined her first organised girls' team. Through this she met a British volunteer (Joelle Holland) who subsequently became her foster mother, and was instrumental in her getting a scholarship to study in the United States at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.[1]

College career

Fulutudilu spent four years playing college soccer for the Lee Flames, the athletic team of Lee University, winning three regular season titles and two national titles.[2]

Club career

When she signed with Málaga in 2019, she became the first South African to play in the top tier of Spanish women's football.[3]

In January 2021, she left Finland to sign with Glasgow City in Scotland, joining fellow South African Janine van Wyk. However, due to COVID-19-related limits on football, she was not able to make her debut for the team until April. She would score hat-tricks in both her debut and second matches for Glasgow.[4]

In February 2023, Fulutudilu returned to Spain, joining Liga F club Real Betis.[5]

International career

She played for the Banyana Banyana at the 2014 African Women's Championship[6] She also represented South Africa at the 2019 World Cup, the country's first appearance in the tournament finals.

Personal life

Fulutudilu has a bachelor's degree in sociology from Lee University.

References
  1. Watt, Martin (5 May 2021). "Ode Fulutudilu: Glasgow City & South Africa striker on being a refugee, God & Glasgow City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  2. Jacobs, Shahida (29 January 2019). "Ode Fulutudilu: From refugee to Banyana and going pro in Spain". The South African. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. "First South African woman signs in Spain". BBC Sport.
  4. "Glasgow FC duo lead surprising Women's Rankings for April". 3 May 2021.
  5. "El Betis Féminas busca más gol con la incorporación de Ode Fulutudilu" [Betis Féminas seeks more goals with the signing of Ode Fulutudilu]. Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). 1 February 2023.
  6. "Vera Pauw Names Her 2014 AWC Squad". South African soccer news. 30 September 2014.


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