10-year-old Lithuania girl takes women’s football by storm

Vilnius: In basketball-obsessed Lithuania, women’s football is gaining new fans after the sensational debut of 10-year-old Zemyna Lekaviciute as the Baltic state’s youngest-ever scorer in a second-division match.

After just five minutes on the pitch, Zemyna took a pass and sent the ball past goalkeeper Agne Ratkeviciute, who is more than twice her age, handing her Zalgiris Vilnius reserves team a 10-0 lead over Sesupe. 

“This was her very first appearance in (second-division) Lyga 1 and she became the youngest scorer in Lithuania,” beamed Svajunas Stravinskas, manager of the women’s football academy at Zalgiris. Passing the ball to Zemyna was Greta Jaroseviciute, the other youngster on the pitch born in 2006.

Wearing the green shirt of the Zalgiris reserve team, and reaching barely up to her fellow players’ shoulders, Zemyna also grabbed an assist for a late goal that pushed the final score up to 11-0.

It all started four years ago. “One day, when my dad and I were going home from the kindergarten, we saw an ad inviting kids to play football,” says Zemyna, flashing a smile.