Thabo "Festival" Matlaba (born 13 December 1987) is a South African professional association footballer who plays as a left-back 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.
International career
Matlaba made his debut for South Africa on 14 May 2011 versus Tanzania in an international friendly.[1]
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.[2][3]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 30 January 2018[4]
| Club | Season | League | National 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 total | 172 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 223 | 16 | ||
International
- Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first.[4]
| 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 |
References
- ^ "Bafana defeat Taifa Stars". Supersport. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
- ^ Eslick, Daniel (25 March 2013). "South Africa Player of the Week: Thabo Matlaba". Goal.com. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ^ "Thabo Matlaba". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ^ a b "T. Matlaba". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
External links
- Thabo Matlaba at National-Football-Teams.com
- Thabo Matlaba at WorldFootball.net
- Thabo Matlaba at Soccerway
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