Bambanani Mbane

Bambanani Nolufefe Mbane (born 12 March 1990) is a South African soccer player who plays as a defender for SAFA Women's League club Mamelodi Sundowns and the South Africa women's national team.

She was named the Queen of the Tournament in 2017. She was also nominated for the 2021 CAF Women Interclub Player of the Year award and 2021 CAF Women Player of the Year.

She rounded out the season by being named the 2021 South African Football Journalists' Association (Safja): Women's footballer of the year.

In 2022, she was added to the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League Best XI and the Women's Africa Cup of Nations Best XI.

International career Mbane competed for the South Africa women's national soccer team at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations were they finished in second place.

She was part of the South African women's national team at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations where they won their first continental title and the 2023 FIFA Women's World cup where they reached the last 16.

Mbane was the woman of the match in a 2–0 win over Ghana at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

International goals No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 31 July 2019 Wolfson Stadium, KwaZakele, South Africa 7–0 17–0 2019 COSAFA Women's Championship 2. 9–0 3. 8 August 2019 1–0 3–1 4. 11 July 2025 Honneur Stadium, Oujda, Morocco 1–1 1–1 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations 5. 27 July 2026 Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco 1–1 1–2 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations

Personal life In 2019, she married Tsholofelo Makgaleme.

Honours Club SAFA Women's League: 2021, 2022, 2023 Sasol Women's League: 2016, runner-up: 2018

Individual Sasol Queen of the Tournament: 2017 Sasol Queen of Queens: 2017 SAFA Women's League Player of the Season: 2021 2021 South African Football Journalists' Association (Safja): Women's footballer of the year Women's Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2022 IFFHS CAF Women's Team of The Year: 2022 Women's Africa XI: 2023