Varsénia da Luz
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Varsénia Lina Monteiro da Luz | ||
| Date of birth | 19 March 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | São Vicente, Cape Verde | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Seven Stars | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Ribeirense FC | |||
| –2013 | Cruzeiros do Norte | ||
| 2013–2018 | Mindelense | ||
| 2018– | Seven Stars | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018– | Cape Verde | 19 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 February 2025 | |||
Varsénia Lina Monteiro da Luz (born 19 March 1992), often shortened to Varsénia is a Cape Verdean footballer who plays as a right-back for Campeonato Nacional Feminino Caboverdiano club Seven Stars and captains the Cape Verde national football team.[1]
Club career
[edit]Born in São Vicente, like most children, da Luz started playing football with friends in the neighborhood. She then joined Ribeirense FC in the regional championship.[2] After one season, she joined Cruzeiros do Norte before moving to Mindelense, where she won four regional titles and participated in national championships between 2013 and 2018.[2]
On 23 August 2014, Varsénia was part of the historic inaugural match at the Estádio Nacional, where a women's match between the Barlavento and Sotavento selections marked the stadium's first official game. The match ended in a 0–0 draw.[3]
In 2018, she joined Seven Stars in Praia, where she won four consecutive Santiago Sul regional titles, two national championships, and five Taça Praia trophies.[2] She also competed with the club in the inaugural 2021 CAF Women's Champions League WAFU Zone A Qualifiers, held in Cape Verde.[4]
In addition to football, she has competed in futsal. In 2023, she represented São Vicente in the Inter-Island Futsal Tournament, where her team won the title.[2]
International career
[edit]As one of the pioneers of women's football in Cape Verde, Varsénia was part of the country's first-ever women's national team.[5] She made her debut in a 1–0 home defeat to Guinea-Bissau on 16 November 2018. Since then, she has been a regular in the national squad, featuring in every Cape Verde selection, including the 2020 and 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup.[2] On 27 January 2023, she scored her first international goal in a 2–1 semi-final victory over Gambia.[6]
Career statistics
[edit]International
[edit]- As of match played 26 February 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Verde | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 20 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Cape Verde's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each da Luz goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 January 2023 | Estádio Marcelo Leitão, Sal, Cape Verde |  Gambia |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2023 WAFU Zone A Women's Cup |
| 2 | 21 February 2025 | Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès, Senegal |  Guinea |
2–0 | 2–2 | 2026 WAFCON qualifiers |
| 3 | 26 February 2025 | Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, Praia, Cape Verde | 4–1 | 4–1 |
References
[edit]- ^ "WAFCON 2024: Captain Varsénia seeks public support to help Cape Verde defeat Liberia". balai.cv. Inforpress. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Varsénia da Luz: Engineer and one of the best women's football players in Cape Verde". rtc.cv (in Portuguese). 30 July 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
- ^ "Women's Match Marked the Inaugural Game at Estádio Nacional in 2014" (in Portuguese). Cape Verdean Football Federation. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
- ^ "Women's Champions League Qualification: Seven Stars Becomes the First Team to Arrive in Mindelo". anacao.cv (in Portuguese). 21 July 2021.
- ^ Alves, Carlos (27 November 2021). "Varsénia da Luz: "The Queen of the Ball"". anacao.cv (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 February 2025.
- ^ "Women's Football: Cape Verde defeats Gambia and reaches the final of the WAFU Tournament". criolosports.com (in Portuguese). 27 January 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
Scored for Cape Verde: Varsénia da Luz
External links
[edit]- Varsénia da Luz at Global Sports Archive