Ode Fulutudilu is troubled by Malaga's plight in their current Spanish Liga Iberdrola campaign but insists it's not over with a game to go.
After 29 top-flight matches this season, Antonio Contreras' side sits at the base of the log with 22 points - two adrift of safety.
To stay afloat, Malaga must earn a win in their final game against Rayo Vallecano at home on Sunday. They will hope for favourable results in other games involving relegation-battling sides.
The 29-year-old, who became the first South African female to play in Spain after joining Malaga from Finland's ONS in January, has opened up on her side's poor season.
"We are struggling because the league is extremely tight and some games we ought to have won easily, we ended up losing narrowly," Fulutudilu told Goal.
"There are four or five teams that are still in the reach of us and struggling with one and two points ahead of us, so, we're not dead and done yet.
"Personally, before I came to Spain, I have not played for up to three months since October, so in front of goals, I've been match-rusty, having not played in such a while.
"Honestly, I would love to have done more this season but hopefully, I can improve and help the team stay up.
"I want to do my best to help the team get out of the situation that we've found ourselves. We have a team playing well but we've just been unfortunate."
Samuel Ahmadu/Goal
Starting life as a Democratic Republic of Congo refugee, Fulutudilu and her family fled the war-torn Congolese nation to South Africa at the age of four.
However, her football dreams came true when she earned a call-up for Banyana Banyana in 2014 and represented the country at the Africa Women's Cup of Nations in Namibia, where they finished third.
Upon her successful maiden professional outing with Finnish side ONS in 2018, Fulutudilu explained her decision to decline a contract extension to complete a move to Spain.
"It has been a long road, born in DR Congo and moved to South Africa when I was four-years-old," she disclosed.
"That happened due to the unstableness of DR Congo. I lived in South Africa as a refugee for 16 years before getting my citizenship.
"Once I had my South African citizenship, got a scholarship and moved to America to play soccer and study full time. It was a great opportunity for me because it opened the door for me to get my degree and the platform to take my football career to the next level.
"After my graduation, I got my first national team call-up to South Africa in 2014 and two to three years later, I got my first professional contract to play in Finland with ONS Oulu. It came later than I expected but I'm happy it did come finally because nothing is ever too late.
"Last year in Finland, I scored 15 goals in 23 games. It could have been more as that was a decent season and a pretty year for me. The Finnish club wanted me to stay, but the opportunity to play in Spain with a great atmosphere and rich football profile was something I could not turn down.
"I am absolutely loving the Spanish culture in general and the people. I love the support the Spanish people give women's football. It is my desire to keep playing in Spain for a few more years. Spain is a country full of so much football history and culture. I'm learning Spanish and hoping to speak some soon."
Malaga media
The South Africa international struggled for game time under Contreras' and has made nine appearances, starting thrice and only scoring once this season.
Instead of regrets, the Cape Town star is full of gratitude to Malaga and other Spanish teams for believing and offering her and other African players the chance to showcase their talent.
"It's awesome for Africans to show that we have a lot to offer to the European game, especially the women," she continued.
"I think one of the things we Africans have ahead of the other continents is that we have a lot of speed and our strength but we've not been able to show it in Europe because it's very hard to come here due to the paperwork and others.
"Compliments should be paid to the Spanish clubs that have been opening their doors to African players and giving us the chance to show what they are capable of doing."
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