Bally_Smart
Bally Smart
South African soccer player
Mapidima "Bally" Smart (born 27 April 1989 in Polokwane, Limpopo) is a South African footballer, who last played as a winger or striker for Skonto Riga in the Latvian Higher League. Smart founded Polokwane United FC in the SAFA Second Division.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mapidima Smart | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-04-27) 27 April 1989 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | Polokwane, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder / Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2007 | Norwich City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2008 | Norwich City | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Milton Keynes Dons (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Kerkyra | 21 | (0) |
| 2010 | Charlton Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | Skonto Riga | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 38 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2008–2010 | South Africa U20 | 7 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014 | Polokwane United | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Smart attended Thorpe St Andrew High School in Norwich where he studied for his GCSEs prior to joining Norwich City in 2005. He made his first team debut as a substitute against Burnley on 17 April 2007, and signed his first professional contract lasting one year on 12 May 2007.[1]
After impressing for Norwich Reserves in a 2-1 away victory against the MK Dons, Dons manager Paul Ince decided that Smart could add extra competition for places on the wing and signed him on a three-month loan.
Bally Smart joined Greek club Kerkyra FC in August 2008 when his contract with Norwich City ended.
Just 24 hours before Charlton's first match of 2010–11 season, they signed Smart on a non-contract basis and he was an unused substitute for the club's opener against AFC Bournemouth. He made his debut three days later as the Addicks let a 3–0 lead slip in the League Cup at Shrewsbury Town to lose 4–3.
In March 2011 Smart joined Latvian champions Skonto Riga.[2] He made his league debut against FB Gulbene-2005 on 10 April 2011.[3][failed verification] He left the team after the season with 8 league games under his belt.
After his return from Latvia in 2012, Smart established Polokwane United Academy in his home town. His academy senior team competes in the South African Third Division (4th Tier) called the SAB Regional League.
He played seven matches for the South Africa national under-20 football team, including winning the 2008 COSAFA U-20 Cup.
- Cosafa Under 20 Championship: 2008
- TrioBet Baltic League Cup: 2011
- "Bally Smart". Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
- ""Skonto" pārpērk kiprieši; komandai pievienojas DĀR futbolists – Virslīga – Futbols – Sportacentrs.com". Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- Bally Smart at Soccerbase
