Olga Ševcova (née Ivanova;[1][2] born 26 November 1992) is a Latvian footballer who plays as a forward for ÍBV of the Úrvalsdeild kvenna and the Latvia women's national team. She has been named the Latvian Footballer of the Year on six occasions. Ševcova has played for clubs based in Lithuania, Estonia and Iceland, as well as in her native Latvia.

Olga Ševcova
Personal information
Birth name Olga Ivanova
Date of birth (1992-11-26) 26 November 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth Riga, Latvia
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Fenerbahçe S.K.
Number 15
Youth career
JFC Skonto
2004–2006 Šitika FS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 FC Skonto/Cerība-46.vsk.
2009 Gintra Universitetas
2010–2014 Pärnu JK 18 (5)
2016–2018 Rīgas FS
2019 FK Dinamo Rīga
2020–2023 ÍBV 69 (20)
2023- Fenerbahçe S.K. 0 (0)
International career
2007–2008 Latvia U17 6 (2)
2008–2010 Latvia U19 9 (0)
2011– Latvia 60 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 July 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 December 2023 (UTC)

Club career

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Ševcova's first club was JFC Skonto, where she played in the boys' youth teams under veteran coach Vladimirs Beļajevs.[3] She joined Šitika Futbola skola in 2004, then moved on to FC Skonto/Cerība-46.vsk. where she played from 2007 until 2009.[3]

Moving abroad, Ševcova then joined Lithuanian Women's A League champions Gintra Universitetas Šiauliai and participated in the club's 2009–10 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round campaign.[4] From 2010 until 2014 Ševcova spent five seasons playing for Pärnu JK of the Estonian Naiste Meistriliiga.[5]

In 2011 Ševcova was named Latvian Footballer of the Year for the first time, after five goals in 18 league games for Meistriliiga champions Pärnu and one against Peamount United in a 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round defeat.[6] She won the Latvian Footballer of the Year award for a second time in 2013.[7]

Ševcova did not play in the 2015 season, as she was pregnant.[8] Following the birth of her child, she returned to Latvian Women's League football with Rīgas FS in 2016.[3] After helping Rīgas FS to a "double" in 2017, Ševcova was named Latvian Footballer of the Year for a third time.[1] Continued good form saw her retain the award in 2018 and 2019.[9] In 2019 she was one of several players to depart the dominant Rīgas FS club for newly-formed FK Dinamo Rīga,[10] who then captured the Latvian Women's League title.[11]

In January 2020 Ševcova transferred to the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild kvenna club ÍBV, along with her compatriots Elīza Spruntule and Karlīna Miksone.[12] After a promising 2020 season in which she scored three goals in 16 appearances, Ševcova agreed a new one-year contract with ÍBV.[13] In 2021 Ševcova was voted ÍBV's Player of the Year after she scored six goals in 16 appearances. She extended her contract again in December 2021.[14]

In November 2023 Ševcova was transferred to the Turkish Turkish Women's Football Super League club Fenerbahçe S.K.. Ševcova's transfer was one of the most notable moves in the history of Latvian women's football.

International career

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Ševcova has been capped for the Latvia women's national football team. She made her debut on 3 March 2011, in a 2–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying preliminary round defeat by Luxembourg in Strumica.[note 1] She appeared for the team during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying cycle.[15]

Ševcova became historic as the first ever Latvia women's national team player to score against Sweden or any top 10 ranked national team in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying match played on 3 September 2019.[note 2][16] Latvia was ranked 93 by FIFA and 43 by UEFA (fifth last of all who entered) at the time, in contrast to Sweden's sixth place.

Occasionally Ševcova has been unavailable for national team fixtures due to what the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) has described as: "ģimenes apstākļu" (English: family circumstances), including in the return fixture with Sweden.[17] For the same reason,[18] she was one of several regular national team players who were unable to participate in the November 2021 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification match against England, in which a depleted Latvia team suffered a record 20–0 defeat.[19]

Statistics

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Latvia
2011 1 0
2012
2013 3 0
2014
2015
2016 3 0
2017 9 3
2018 8 1
2019 8 2
2020 2 0
2021 6 1
2022 8 2
Total 48 9
As of match played 6 October 2022[3]

International goals

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Scores and results list Latvia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ševcova goal.[3]
List of international goals scored by Olga Ševcova
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 March 2017 Tsirio Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus   Malta 1–0 1–0 2017 Aphrodite Women Cup
2 6 April 2017 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia   Estonia 4–0 4–0 2019 FIFA World Cup qual.
3 8 May 2017 Savivaldybė Stadium, Šiauliai, Lithuania   Estonia 3–0 3–0 2017 Women's Baltic Cup
4 1 September 2018 TNTK Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia   Lithuania 3–0 4–0 2018 Women's Baltic Cup
5 16 June 2019 Jāņa Skredeļa Stadium, Riga, Latvia   Lithuania 2–0 2–0 2019 Women's Baltic Cup
6 3 September 2019 Daugava Stadium, Liepāja, Latvia   Sweden 1–0 1–4 2022 UEFA Women's Championship qual.
7 21 October 2021 Daugava Stadium, Liepāja, Latvia   North Macedonia 1–2 1–4 2023 FIFA World Cup qual.
8 1 September 2022 Petar Miloševski Training Centre, Skopje, North Macedonia   North Macedonia 2–3 2–3 2023 FIFA World Cup qual.
9 6 October 2022 Võru Sports Center Stadium, Võru, Estonia   Faroe Islands 2–1 2–3 2022 Baltic Women's Cup

Style of play

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An adaptable attacking player, Ševcova is capable of playing in most forward positions on the pitch.[13]

Honours

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Club

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Skonto/Cerība

Gintra-Universitetas Šiauliai

Pärnu JK

Rīgas FS

Dinamo Rīga

International

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Latvia

Individual

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Notes

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  1. ^ This is the first match listed of Ševcova's appearances at the Latvian Football Federation website. But the 'Biogrāfija' page on the same profile says her debut came in a 3–1 Women's Baltic Cup defeat by Estonia on 25 April 2009.
  2. ^ Euro 2022 qualifying dispensed with the preliminary round, in which Latvia had been eliminated since their return to international play for UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying. This meant that Latvia faced some much higher ranked opponents than before.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Andris Vaņins trešo gadu pēc kārtas atzīts par Latvijas labāko Futbolistu" (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. ^ "For the third time in a row and overall for the fifth time in his career, Ольга Иванова (Olga Ivanova) has been named Latvian Footballer of the Year, playing daily in the FK Dinamo Rīga and in the Latvian national team.🇱🇻 🔝🔝 Olga becomes the best player in the Women's Football League and the best player in the Women's Football League team. Next destination Olga➡️ ✈✈✈ ???". MNG Sports Agency. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Biogrāfija" (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  4. ^ ""Gintra-Universitetas" škočių barjero neperžengė" (in Lithuanian). Šiaulių kraštas. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Olga Ševcova" (in Estonian). Estonian Football Association. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  6. ^ Link, Eno-Gerrit (12 December 2011). "Pärnu vutimängija valiti Lätis aasta parimaks" (in Estonian). Pärnu Postimees. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Vaņins atzīts par gada labāko Latvijas futbolistu" (in Latvian). Ziņu Portāls Latvijai. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  8. ^ "Didzis Matīss: ""JK Pärnu" atbilst tuvāk Lietuvas izlases līmenim"" (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2022. Nespēlē šobrīd ne pie mums, ne pie viņām Olga Ivanova. Izmantojot iespēju, gribētu apsveikt Olgu ar ģimenes nodibināšanu un novēlēt veiksmi turpmāk!
  9. ^ a b "Par pērnā gada labākajiem Latvijas futbolistiem atzīti Šteinbors un Ševcova" (in Latvian). Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  10. ^ Birjuks, Arkādijs (16 January 2019). "Sieviešu futbola intrigas: dominējošo "Rīgas FS" pamet vairākas spēlētājas" (in Latvian). Sporta Centrs. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  11. ^ Birjuks, Arkādijs (28 September 2019). ""Dinamo" triumfē Sieviešu Futbola līgā, pārtraucot "Rīgas Futbola skolas" dominanci" (in Latvian). Sporta Centrs. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  12. ^ Ásgeirsson, Guðmundur Aðalsteinn (1 February 2020). "ÍBV fær fimm erlenda leikmenn (Staðfest)" (in Icelandic). Fótbolti.net. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b Einarsson, Magnús Már (23 November 2020). "Olga Sevcova áfram hjá ÍBV" (in Icelandic). Fótbolti.net. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  14. ^ Þórbergsson Steinke, Sæbjörn Þór (3 December 2021). "Olga og Viktorija framlengja við ÍBV" (in Icelandic). Fótbolti.net. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Women World Cup Qualifiers Europe 2017/2018 » Teams (Latvia)". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  16. ^ Birjuks, Arkādijs (4 September 2019). "Ročāne: "20. minūtē pieskrēju klāt trenerim, bet viņam asaras acīs" (in Latvian). Sporta Centrs. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  17. ^ Poļakovs, Iļja (22 October 2020). "Dāmām pārbaudījums un mācībstunda Zviedrijā" (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  18. ^ Bācis, Ivars (30 November 2021). "Kvačovs: Sagaidu pašatdevi un disciplīnu visas spēles gaitā" (in Latvian). Sporta Centrs. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Kvačovs: Priecēja, ka meitenes atdeva sevi līdz galam" (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  20. ^ Ārmanis, Toms (16 December 2022). "Latvijas gada futbolisti Ševcova un Gutkovskis" (in Latvian). Latvian Football Federation. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
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