Thembi Kgatlana is set to be unveiled as an Atletico Madrid, only a year after she made her debut in Spanish football.
Thembi Kgatlana signs with Atletico Madrid
As reported by Soccer Laduma, Kgatlana impressed immensely when she made her first start in the women’s Spanish Primera Division as part of the SD Eibar faction last season.
Her one-year contract may have been a test to assess her development but, watching on from the bleachers, Atletico scouts saw in Kgatlana everything they were looking for in a high-performance player.
Kgatlana’s unveiling has not yet been commissioned by the La Liga champions as yet. It’s believed terms have been agreed and all that’s left is the announcement which, according to sources, should be made soon.
Five things you didn’t know about Kgatlana
Until now, Kgatlana’s tenure as a high-scoring maestro has gone unnoticed by the mainstream media. We did some digging and found these five cool facts you may not have known about the 25-year-old.
Kgatlana is a centre-forward maestro
Kgatlana is a star centre-forward, a key attacking position in football. For the entirety of her career, the 25-year-old has been renowned for her marksmanship.
She’s played for four international clubs
Atletico will be Kgatlana’s fifth international football club. Previously, the star forward played for:
- Houston Dash (based in Houston, Texas);
- Beijing BG Phoenix (based in Beijing);
- SL Benfica (based in Lisbon); and
- SD Eibar (based in Eibar, Gipuzkoa).
This is her average goal-per-game
The 25-year-old is no amateur in front of the goalposts. This is, in part, why she is much sought after. Based on the most recent figures, Kgatlana’s average goals per game (this is her club-scoring record) tally is 0.46.
How many goals has she scored for Banyana Banyana?
While Kgatlana’s yet to taste glory in Banyana stripes, she has been prolific in the 18-yard box. Thus far, the star forward has scored 19 goals in 57 appearances, averaging 0.23 goals per game.
Here’s a list of Kgatlana’s honours
Thus far, the young forward has not won a championship. However, her relentless work in the final third has not gone unnoticed. Here are the honours she’s received thus far in her club and international career:
- CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations: 2018 Runner-Up
- CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations Best Player: 2018
- CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 2018
- CAF African Women’s Footballer of the Year 2018
- CAF African Women’s Goal of the Year: 2018
- Cyprus Cup Best player 2018
- Cosafa Women’s Championship Player of the Tournament: 2017