Thembi Kgatlana

Chrestinah Thembi "Pikinini" Kgatlana (born 2 May 1996) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club Racing Louisville FC and the South Africa women's national team.[3]

Thembi Kgatlana
Kgatlana with Racing Louisville FC in 2023
Personal information
Full name Christina Thembi Kgatlana[1]
Date of birth (1996-05-02) 2 May 1996
Place of birth Mohlakeng, South Africa[2]
Height 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Racing Louisville
Number 11
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
TUT
Lusaka FC
Napoli FC
Parma Ladies
Univ. of the Western Cape
2018 Houston Dash 16 (2)
2019 Beijing BG Phoenix 10 (6)
2020 Benfica 2 (3)
2020–2021 Eibar 27 (10)
2021–2022 Atlético Madrid 25 (6)
2022– Racing Louisville 2 (0)
International career‡
2014– South Africa 71 (23)
Medal record
Representing  South Africa
Women's Africa Cup of Nations
Second place2018 Ghana
First place2022 Morocco
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:21, 28 July 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 July 2023 (prior the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup)

Club career

Houston Dash

In February 2018, Kgatlana moved to the United States to join the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League. She was brought in by her former national team coach Vera Pauw. Kgatlana joined her South African teammates Janine van Wyk and Linda Motlhalo in Houston.[4] Kgatlana made 16 appearances with Houston and she scored 2 goals.[5]

Owing to her accepting a move overseas, Kgatlana was waived by the Houston Dash on 6 February 2019.[6]

Beijing BG Phoenix

On 22 February 2019, Kgatlana was announced as having signed with Beijing BG Phoenix F.C. in the Chinese Women's Super League on a one-year deal. She was joined by South African teammate Linda Motlhalo who also made the move from Houston to China.[7]

Kgatlana scored six league goals in 10 appearances during the 2019 Chinese Women's Super League campaign, helping her Beijing BG Phoenix side to a fifth-place finish.

SL Benfica

On 27 January 2020 she signed with SL Benfica.[8] On 1 February 2020 she made her debut with the club being subbed on in a 3–1 win over Braga in Taça da Liga Feminina.[9]

Prior to their cancellation owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kgatlana helped Benfica to the final of both Portuguese Cup and Taca da Liga Femenina competitions as well as the top of the league table. The result was enough to qualify the club for the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in their history.

SD Eibar

Kgatlana's spell at Benfica came to an early end owing to complications arising from the COVID-19 crisis, with a salary cap introduced across Portuguese women's football. On 21 July 2020, it was announced that she had joined newly promoted Spanish Primera División side SD Eibar on a one-year contract.[10] Kgatlana made her debut on 4 October 2020 in a 1–0 victory over Real Betis, before opening her goalscoring account the following week in a 2–2 draw against Levante.[11]

On 31 October 2020, Kgatlana scored her second goal for the club on her first start in a 1–0 victory over Espanyol, however she was forced off with the game still in the first half due to a minor injury.[12] Upon her return from injury, she immediately returned to goalscoring form with a stunning strike in a 3–1 defeat to Real Madrid having once again entered from the substitutes bench.

Racing Louisville

NWSL club Racing Louisville paid a transfer fee to obtain Kgatlana on 6 July 2022. She signed a two-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season.[13] However, she missed the 2022 season after tearing her Achilles tendon against Botswana in the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. She debuted for Racing on 6 May against Orlando Pride,[14] her first match since tearing her Achilles tendon in 2022.[15] On 12 May, joining the match as an 81st-minute substitute, she assisted on Racing's third goal of the match.[14]

International career
Kgatlana with South Africa in 2018

Kgatlana represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics[16] and the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, where she won the Player of the Tournament and was the highest goal scorer.[17] She also represented South Africa at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, where she scored her country's first goal ever in the tournament. On 2 August 2023, she scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Italy in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup last group stage match, to be her country's first ever win in the competition which led to their qualification to the knockout phase.[18]

International goals

Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1
 10 November 2016 Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe  Zimbabwe
1–0
3–0
 Friendly
2
2–0
3
 14 September 2017 Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe  Lesotho
3–0
3–0
 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship
4
15 September 2017Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Namibia
1–0
3–1
5
3–1
6
 24 September 2017  Zimbabwe
1–0
2–1
7
2 March 2018Tasos Markos Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus Hungary
1–0
1–0
2018 Cyprus Cup
8
10 October 2018Estadio Santa Laura, Santiago, Chile Chile
2–1
2–2
Friendly
10
18 November 2018Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Cape Coast, Ghana Nigeria
1–0
1–0
2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations
11
21 November 2018 Equatorial Guinea
4–1
7–1
12
5–1
13
24 November 2018Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana Zambia
1–0
1–1
14
27 November 2018Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Cape Coast, Ghana Mali
1–0
2–0
15
 19 January 2019 Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa  Netherlands
1–2
1–2
 Friendly
16
 19 January 2019 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus  Finland
2–2
2–2
 2019 Cyprus Women's Cup
17
8 June 2019Stade Océane, Le Havre, France Spain
1–0
1–3
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
18
10 April 2021Bidvest Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa Zambia
2–0
3–0
Friendly
19
13 April 2021 Botswana
1–0
2–0
20
13 April 2021Onikan Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria Ghana
2–0
3–0
Aisha Buhari Cup
21
18 February 2022Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa Algeria
2–0
2–0
2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualification
22
12 April 2022ADO Den Haag Stadium, The Hague, Netherlands Netherlands
1–1
1–5
Friendly
23
28 July 2023Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand Argentina2–02–22023 FIFA Women's World Cup
24
2 August 2023Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand Italy3–23–2

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 17 May 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Houston Dash 2018 National Women's Soccer League 2 (14)20000002 (14)2
Beijing BG Phoenix 2019 Chinese Women's Super League 106114200169
SL Benfica 2019–20 Campeonato Nacional Feminino 1011220043
SD Eibar 2020–21 Primera División 21100000002110
Atletico de Madrid 2021–22 Primera División 256100000266
Racing Louisville FC 2023 National Women's Soccer League 0010000010
Career total 71244264007530

Honours

Benfica

International

Individual

References
  1. "FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 – List of Players: South Africa" (PDF). FIFA. 27 May 2019. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  2. Import, Pongrass (18 January 2019). "Africa's female soccer star is from Mohlakeng". Randfontein Herald. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  3. Thembi Kgatlana at Soccerway
  4. "Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana signs for Houston Dash". Independent Online (South Africa). 21 February 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  5. "T.KGATLANA". Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  6. "Houston Dash waive Banyana duo Thembi Kgatlana and Linda Motlhalo". 6 February 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  7. Dylan (23 February 2019). "Kgatlana signs for Chinese club". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  8. "Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana contratada". www.slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  9. "Deram a volta com muita pinta". www.slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  10. "Thembi moves to Spain". SAFA. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  11. "Kgatlana rescues Eibar with maiden Spanish Iberdrola goal against Levante". Goal. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  12. "Kgatlana the herione on full debut as Eibar stun Espanyol". Goal. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  13. "Racing signs Kgatlana on transfer from Atlético Madrid" (Press release). Racing Louisville FC. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  14. Mollo, Tlotlisang (13 May 2023). "Banyana star makes impressive home debut for new side". FARPost. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  15. Oludare, Shina (11 July 2022). "South Africa dealt blow as Kgatlana ruled out of Wafcon with ruptured Achilles tendon". Goal US. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  16. "Athletes – Famous Olympic Athletes, Medalists, Sports Heroes". 24 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  17. Sixaba, Philasande. "Banyana's Thembi Kgatlana named player of the tournament". ewn.co.za.
  18. "South Africa 3–2 Italy". BBC Sport. 2 August 2023.
  19. "Magaia brace hands South Africa first TotalEnergies WAFCON trophy". CAF. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  20. "2017 COSAFA Women's Championship – Day Nine Review – Final". Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  21. "Aiteo CAF Awards 2018: Winners". CAF. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
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