Benedict Vilakazi (soccer)
Encyclopedia
Benedict Vilakazi is a football (soccer)
player from South Africa
who plays in central midfield
for South Africa
n club side Mamelodi Sundowns
. He has been noted as one of the smallest current professional international footballers (standing at a mere 1.57 m) but makes up for this with a strong physical presence.
He was born in Diepkloof, Soweto
and is nicknamed "Tso" and "Little Napoleon" due to his leading skills.
at the 2006 African Nations Cup in Egypt
. His professional career was rocked by sex scandals with juveniles including being dragged to court on allegation of statutory rape
. He was however acquitted of the charge as it was alleged that it was with consent. The complaint has since given birth to his son. He publicly apologised to soccer fans after his acquittal. The sex scandal also prohibited him going through with his move to the Swedish side Djurgården that was supposed to go through right before the scandal hit.
On July 27, 2007, he was transferred to Danish Superliga
club Aalborg BK. He was given a 5-year contract. Due to sickness he has not yet adjusted to the European style of football, and therefore he has only played a few games in the Danish league. Vilakazi returned to South Africa July 2008, signing a contract with Pretoria based side Mamelodi Sundowns where he was also joined by former FC Copenhagen striker Sibusiso Zuma
. After not making an impact at Sundowns, Vilakazi was loaned out to Mpumalanga Black Aces for the 2010-11 PSL season. While at the new club, Vilakazi had a fall out with Black Aces' management due to him missing several training sessions and further disciplinary problems. Consequently, Mamelodi Sundowns did not renew Vilakazi's contract after it's expiry at the end of the 2010-11 season.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
who plays in central midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n club side Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football club that plays in the Premier Soccer League.Since 2003, Sundowns are owned by rand billionaire Patrice Motsepe....
. He has been noted as one of the smallest current professional international footballers (standing at a mere 1.57 m) but makes up for this with a strong physical presence.
He was born in Diepkloof, Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
and is nicknamed "Tso" and "Little Napoleon" due to his leading skills.
Biography
Vilakazi Bongani, who has been the subject of interest from clubs such as Porto and Lokeren, and played for South AfricaSouth Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
at the 2006 African Nations Cup in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. His professional career was rocked by sex scandals with juveniles including being dragged to court on allegation of statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
. He was however acquitted of the charge as it was alleged that it was with consent. The complaint has since given birth to his son. He publicly apologised to soccer fans after his acquittal. The sex scandal also prohibited him going through with his move to the Swedish side Djurgården that was supposed to go through right before the scandal hit.
On July 27, 2007, he was transferred to Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...
club Aalborg BK. He was given a 5-year contract. Due to sickness he has not yet adjusted to the European style of football, and therefore he has only played a few games in the Danish league. Vilakazi returned to South Africa July 2008, signing a contract with Pretoria based side Mamelodi Sundowns where he was also joined by former FC Copenhagen striker Sibusiso Zuma
Sibusiso Zuma
Sibusiso Wiseman Zuma is a South African professional football player playing for Supersport United in the Premier Soccer League.- Career :...
. After not making an impact at Sundowns, Vilakazi was loaned out to Mpumalanga Black Aces for the 2010-11 PSL season. While at the new club, Vilakazi had a fall out with Black Aces' management due to him missing several training sessions and further disciplinary problems. Consequently, Mamelodi Sundowns did not renew Vilakazi's contract after it's expiry at the end of the 2010-11 season.
External links
- AaB profile
- Career stats at Danmarks RadioDanmarks RadioDR – officially rendered into English as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – is Denmark's national broadcasting corporation. Founded in 1925 as a public-service organization, it is today Denmark's oldest and largest electronic media enterprise...