My first season in China was great – Kgatlana
The year 2019 has been nothing but great for Banyana Banyana and Beijing Phoenix FC striker Thembi Kgatlana even though there was a minor setback for the player.
Thembi Kgatlana
In her first season with the Asian outfit, Kgatlana is content with her contribution to the team and is looking forward to next year.
“My first season in China was great, I got to show what I can do. I was killed by a major hamstring injury which put me out for about six weeks,” said the Banyana striker.
“But I was able to come back towards the end of the season. I played 11 games and I was able to score six goals.”
Playing Asia where she would encounter a language barrier, Kgatlana says everyone at the Chinese outfit ensured they made her comfortable by making communication a little bit easier and her teammates even went as far as taking English classes.
“It was difficult at first, but the club managed to get us a translator who was always there with us every we go to help us and make us comfortable,” she added.
“Also, our teammates are very friendly and they even started taking English classes. That’s something I’ve never seen happen when someone moves to a foreign country. To have my teammates do that for me and Linda Motlhalo is very special.”
Kgatlana has been in the country for a couple of weeks now, where she was busy with the Thembi Kgatlana Tournament for ladies football teams. The competition had the likes University of Western Cape, First Touch Ladies FC, Tshwane University of Technology Ladies team to mention a few.
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