Thembi Kgatlana: Overcoming stereotypes and captivating football fans worldwide

Thembi Kgatlana showed an interest in football from an early age but was forced to play with the boys due to a lack of opportunities in her community for girls interested in taking up the sport.

Football eventually lured her away from township life in Mohlakeng with a scholarship at the SAFA Girls Soccer Academy of TuksSport High School Pretoria which paved the way to an illustrious international career.

But Kgatlana first had to battle through gender stereotypes in her own community as her peers questioned her choice to play a sport they believed was the preserve of young men. Kgatlana started playing football at eight years old joining the local boys' team before she was identified as a potential talent.

The young Kgatlana’s love for football attracted condemnation from the community while her parents were concerned about her safety.

“There was a lot of tension with me being a footballer at that age. You can imagine an eight-year-old going out to play football with boys. There is a lot you can think of as a parent that can happen,” Kgatlana told Radio 702.

“I can understand the frustration my parents had because I was still very young at that point, I was the only girl playing with the boys. There was a lot of fighting, and I was very rebellious because all I wanted to do was to play.”

Thembi Kgatlana: A taste for the big stage

Her rebellious streak ultimately paid off with Kgatlana making her senior international debut for South Africa in her final year of high school in their 5-1 win over Algeria at the 2014 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Namibia. Kgatlana has since represented her national side at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

She has emerged as a lynchpin for the national side, known as Banyana Banyana, representing her country in 63 internationals scoring 22 goals.

The then 21-year-old Kgatalana highlighted her potential in a red-letter season in 2018 when she was crowned African Women's Player of the Year becoming only the second South African behind Noko Matlou in 2008 to earn the accolade. She was also named player of the WAFCON 2018 tournament bowing out as the top goal scorer, netting five times. She was the standout for her side throughout the tournament earning four woman-of-the-match prizes.

Thembi Kgatlana: International woman

She would again demonstrate her temperament for the big occasion the next year when South Africa made their debut at the 2019 FIFA World Cup. Kgatlana has the distinction as the first goal scorer for South Africa at the Women's World Cup when she slotted the ball in the back of the net in the team’s opener against Spain in France in 2019.

"I’ll remember that goal for the rest of my life. I could describe the build-up to the goal, right down to the slightest detail,” Kgatlana told FIFA.com.

“It was really important that we score, and it eased our disappointment at not getting past the first round. To sum up, that goal has pride of place in my collection.”

Kgatlana has emerged as one of the biggest names on the international stage playing in some of the premier leagues in the women’s game around the globe. She has now applied her trade on three continents including North America (Houston Dash, United States), Asia (Beijing BG Phoenix, China) and Europe (Benfica, Portugal; Eibar and Atlético Madrid, Spain).

She has recently returned to the United States from Atlético Madrid for a two-year stint with Racing Louisville in the National Women’s Soccer League. Kgatlana’s debut for the club was delayed after she ruptured her Achilles in South Africa’s title-winning WAFCON campaign.

Kgatlana made an immediate impact on the side on her return from injury walking away with the Player-of-the-Match accolade in only her second appearance in the team’s 2-0 win over Gotham FC at Lynn Family Stadium.

Thembi Kgatlana: An advocate for equal pay for women in football

Her influence on the game is felt away from the pitch launching the 'Thembi Kgatlana tournament' in her birthplace of Mohlakeng aimed at empowering youth in the area. Her role as ambassador of the women’s game has also earned her recognition in the prestigious FORBES Africa 30 Under 30 list.

In addition, Kgatlana advocates for equal pay for women in football and has called for the professionalisation of the female game in South Africa.

South Africa’s football authority committed to matching the women's national team salaries with the men's following their WAFCON title victory.

"It is great that the federation finally made that call to pay us the same. It will go a long way in helping women's footballers," Kgatlana told DW.

"Even though we have made great strides, we still don't have a professional league in the country. So for many players in the local league, it is a good financial boost for them because it can help them focus better on football."