Thembi Kgatlana

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. Kgatlana made 16 appearances with Houston and she scored 2 goals.

Kgatlana was waived by the Houston Dash on 6 February 2019 so she could sign with Beijing BG Phoenix F.C.

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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. 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, her first match since tearing her Achilles tendon in 2022. On 12 May, joining the match as an 81st-minute substitute, she assisted on Racing's third goal of the match. She scored in the 2025 Apertura final as part of Tigres' comeback in the second half of the first leg against Club America. Tigres went on to win the title after winning the second leg, giving Kgatlana her first league championship with the club.

International career

Kgatlana represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, where she won the Player of the Tournament and was the highest goal scorer. 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.

International goals Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first

Career statistics Club

Personal life On 5 December 2023, Kgatlana proposed to long-time girlfriend Abongile Dlani.

Honours

Benfica Taça da Liga: 2019–20

UANL Tigres Liga MX Femenil: Campeon de Campeones 2023-24

International

Women's Africa Cup of Nations: 2022, runner-up: 2018 COSAFA Women's Championship: 2017

Individual

CAF African Women's Footballer of the Year 2018 CAF African Goal of the Year: 2018 CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations Best Player: 2018 CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 2018 Cyprus Cup Best player 2018 COSAFA Women's Championship Player of the Tournament: 2017