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Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria and Kgatlana of South Africa have been in a recent debate about the Greatest of All Time African football player.
The South African has been the best of her team in past years and also their best player in the recent Women’s World Cup.
She helped her team, South Africa, secure a Round of 16 spot before being knocked out by the Netherlands.
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08:06 - 06.08.2023
FIFA WWC Kgatlana shows Oshoala what being the GOAT truly means
If Oshoala wishes to be recognised as the GOAT, she needs definitive performances against the powerhouses of the international game, the likes of which Kgatlana produced in this tournament
Kgatlana scored two goals and provided two assists in the group stage, with the goal and assists coming against Argentina and Italy respectively.
She has been recently compared with Oshoala who has been considered the greatest African female footballer and many fans have also included her in the GOAT conversation.
With Kgatlana being compared with Oshoala, we take a look at five things about the South African superstar.
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1. Who is Kgatlana
Chrestinah Thembi "Pikinini" Kgatlana, a professional soccer player from South Africa, was born on May 2, 1996.
She is a forward for the South African women's national team as well as the National Women's Soccer League team Racing Louisville FC.
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2. Club career
Kgatlana moved to the United States in February 2018 to play for the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League.
Vera Pauw, the former head coach of her country's national team, signed her to Houston Dash to join South African compatriots Linda Motlhalo and Janine van Wyk.
08:06 - 06.08.2023
FIFA WWC Kgatlana shows Oshoala what being the GOAT truly means
If Oshoala wishes to be recognised as the GOAT, she needs definitive performances against the powerhouses of the international game, the likes of which Kgatlana produced in this tournament
Kgatlana later signed a one-year contract with Beijing BG Phoenix F.C. in the Chinese Women's Super League in 2019.
She joined SL Benfica in 2020, although Kgatlana's time there was cut short due to issues resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, which saw a salary cap implemented for Portuguese women's football.
Later, it was revealed that she had signed a one-year contract with recently promoted Spanish Primera División team SD Eibar.
In 2022, NWSL team Racing Louisville signed Kgatlana and committed to a two-year deal that included a club option for the 2024 campaign.
3. International career
Kgatlana represented her nation at both the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations and the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she was the highest goal scorer and awarded Player of the Tournament.
Moreover, she competed for South Africa at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, where she scored the first-ever goal for her nation in the competition.
In the final group stage encounter of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, she scored the game-winning goal against Italy to give her nation its first-ever victory in the tournament and advance them to the knockout round.
4. Honours
Kgatlana won the Taça da Liga with Benfica in the 2019–2020 season, making it her only club-side trophy.
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19:12 - 05.08.2023
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She has won two trophies with South Africa, including the COSAFA Women's Championship in 2017 and the runner-up spot at the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations.
5. Personal awards
Kgatlana has also won several individual awards during her career which has put her in the conversation of the GOAT.
She won the COSAFA Women's Championship Player of the Tournament in 2017 which was her first individual award.
She has also won the CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations Best Player, the CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations Top Scorer and the CAF African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2018
Kgatlana also won the CAF African Goal of the Year and the Cyprus Cup Best Player in 2018.
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