Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana (born 2 May 1996) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a forward for NWSL club Racing Louisville FC and the South Africa women's national team.[2]
![]() Kgatlana in 2018 | ||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Chrestinah Thembi Kgatlana[1] | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1996-05-02) 2 May 1996 (age 26) | |||||||||||||||
Place of birth | South Africa | |||||||||||||||
Height | 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||
Club information | ||||||||||||||||
Current team | Racing Louisville | |||||||||||||||
Number | 16 | |||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
University 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 | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
National team | ||||||||||||||||
2016– | South Africa | 62 | (22) | |||||||||||||
Honours
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 July 2022 |
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.[3] Kgatlana made 16 appearances with Houston and she scored 2 goals.[4]
Owing to her accepting a move overseas, Kgatlana was waived by the Houston Dash on 6 February 2019.[5]
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.[6]
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.
On 27 January 2020 she signed with SL Benfica.[7] 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.[8]
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.
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 27 July 2020, it was announced that she had joined newly promoted Spanish Primera Division side SD Eibar on a one-year contract.[citation needed] 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.[9]
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.[10] 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.
Kgatlana represented her country at the 2016 Summer Olympics[11] and the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, where she won the Player of the Tournament and was the highest goal scorer.[12] 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.
Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 |
10 November 2016 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo | ![]() |
1–0 |
3–0 |
International Friendly |
2 |
2–0 | |||||
3 |
14 September 2017 | Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo | ![]() |
3–0 |
3–0 |
2017 Cosafa Women's Cup |
4 | 15 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
5 | 3–1 | |||||
6 |
24 September 2017 | ![]() |
1–0 |
2–1 | ||
7 | 2 March 2018 | Tasos Markos Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 Cyprus Cup |
8 | 10 October 2018 | Estadio Santa Laura, Santiago, Chile | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–2 | International Friendly |
10 | 18 November 2018 | Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Cape Coast, Ghana | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations |
11 | 21 November 2018 | ![]() | 4–1 | 7–1 | ||
12 | 5–1 | |||||
13 | 24 November 2018 | Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
14 | 27 November 2018 | Cape Coast Sports Stadium, Cape Coast, Ghana | ![]() | 2–0 | ||
15 |
19 January 2019 | Cape Town Stadium | ![]() |
1–2 |
1–2 |
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Challenge |
16 |
19 January 2019 | Venue Athlítiko Kentro Zenon, Larnaca | ![]() |
2–2 |
2–2 |
2019 Cyprus Women's Cup |
17 | 8 June 2019 | Stade Océane, Le Havre, France | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Group B |
18 | 10 April 2021 | Bidvest Stadium, Johannesburg | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 | International Friendly |
19 | 13 April 2021 | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | ||
20 | 13 April 2021 | Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Lagos | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 | Aisha Buhari Cup |
21 | 18 February 2022 | Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualification |
22 | 12 April 2022 | ADO Den Haag Stadium, The Hague, Netherlands | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–5 | International Friendly |
Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Houston Dash | 2018 | NWSL | 2 (14) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (14) | 2 |
Beijing BG Phoenix | 2019 | Chinese Women's Super League | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 9 |
SL Benfica | 2019–20 | Campeonato Nacional Feminino | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
SD Eibar | 2020–21 | Primera División | 21 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 10 |
Atletico de Madrid | 2021–22 | Primera División | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
Career total | 65 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 28 |
Benfica
International
Individual
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Racing Louisville FC – current squad | |
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South Africa squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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African Women's Footballer of the Year | |
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