An Albanian soccer star is bringing her experience to the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack.
Esi Lufo made her professional team debut at the age of 14 and has played on the biggest stages of world soccer against the best teams and players on the planet.
“We are really excited to get Esi to TRU and the WolfPack,” says Mark Pennington, the WolfPack head coach. “This is a player that has unbelievable ability, and her pedigree speaks for itself.”
The forward is a product of Albania’s capital city, Tirana, and is a long-time standout for KF Vllaznia, a club that just recently captured its 10th-straight Albania Women’s National Championship title.
In the most recent season, Lufo helped the team earn victories as Vllaznia embarked on an impressive run through the UEFA Women’s Champions League, becoming one of 16 teams to move on to the Group Stage.
Lufo played against European soccer giants including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the Group Stage.
“It is a special feeling, you can’t describe it,” Lufo says about playing in the Champions League. “It was a magic night playing under the lights in a full stadium in London against Chelsea.”
“It was so special for me to play against big players like Sam Kerr and Lauren James, and that will be a great memory for me for the rest of my life.”
After playing on her national team, Lufo has decided to focus on both education and athletics at TRU.
“I wanted something more, a new adventure, so I contacted Mark and I liked the project here, so I decided to come to Kamloops to grow as a player and have a great career here in Canada,” she explains.
“I’ve found an opportunity here to be a student and also play soccer, which are the most important things in my life.”
Lufo arrived in Kamloops in early January and is looking forward to seeing the WolfPack improve.
She adds: “I look forward to playing here and achieving great things.”
