Thabo "Festival" Matlaba (born 13 December 1987) is a South African association football defender who plays for Premier Soccer League club, Royal AM. He is known for his long range shots with both his feet. Although he plays mostly as a left back, Matlaba is naturally right-footed.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thabo Matlaba | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Tembisa, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Royal AM | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Leicester City (South Africa) | |||
| Mighty Tigers | |||
| M Tigers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | Free State Stars | 33 | (3) |
| 2012–2019 | Orlando Pirates | 149 | (9) |
| 2019–2020 | Black Leopards | 24 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Swallows | 40 | (0) |
| 2022– | Royal AM | 12 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011– | South Africa | 29 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 November 2016 | |||
Career statistics
- As of 30 January 2018[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Free State Stars | 2010–11 | Premier Soccer League | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| 2011–12 | Premier Soccer League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
| Orlando Pirates | 2011–12 | Premier Soccer League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Premier Soccer League | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2[a] | 0 | 27 | 2 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier Soccer League | 25 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11[b] | 2 | 45 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier Soccer League | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | 23 | 2 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier Soccer League | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier Soccer League | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier Soccer League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 139 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 190 | 13 | ||
| Career totals | 172 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 223 | 16 | ||
International career
He made his debut for South Africa on 14 May 2011 versus Tanzania in an international friendly.[2]
Matlaba scored his first international goal with a 40-yard (37 m) drive in a World Cup qualifier against the Central African Republic on 23 March 2013.[3][4]
International goals
- Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first.[5]
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 23 March 2013 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa |  Central African Republic | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Style of play
He is well known for his excellent burst of outstanding overlapping pace, a versatile player or utility player
References
External links
- Thabo Matlaba at National-Football-Teams.com
- Thabo Matlaba at WorldFootball.net
- Thabo Matlaba at FootballDatabase.eu
- Thabo Matlaba at Soccerway
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