Thembi Kgatlana is on the cusp of making history for South African women's football. The Banyana Banyana star could become the first South African woman to qualify for the two groundbreaking FIFA tournaments: the Women's Champions Cup and the Women's Club World Cup.
Kgatlana's Mexican side, UANL Tigres, took a significant step towards this on Thursday morning (May 22, 2025), securing a dominant 2-0 victory over Portland Thorns FC in the semi-final of the new CONCACAF Women's Champions Cup.
The match took place at the Tigres' home ground, Estadio Universitario in Nuevo León, Mexico.
Securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup and the 2028 FIFA Women's Club World Cup hinges on the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
KGATLANA FOUND THE NET IN WOMEN’S CHAMPS CUP SEMIS
Kgatlana significantly boosted Tigres' chances, finding the net in the 27th minute after an error by Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby. This extended the lead that Aaliyah Farmer had initially given the Liga MX Femenil side just 12 minutes into the match.
The South African forward proved to be a constant threat during her 72 minutes on the pitch, almost adding two more goals in the 30th and 38th minutes before being denied.
Her influential performance earned her the well-deserved Player of the Match award. Tigres will now face American side NJ/NY Gotham FC in Sunday morning's final (May 25, 2025), after Gotham defeated Mexico's Club America 3-1 in the earlier semi-final at the same venue.
Beyond claiming the first-ever CONCACAF W Champions Cup title, the winning team will also punch their tickets to two major future FIFA tournaments: the 2026 FIFA Women's Champions Cup and the 2028 FIFA Women's Club World Cup.
Meanwhile, Thembi Kgatlana will not feature in the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana's upcoming friendly matches against Botswana on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, and Zambia on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, having been exempted from national duty for these fixtures.
While Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis might have preferred Kgatlana for the upcoming friendly matches, her primary hope is that Kgatlana carries her stellar club form into the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
South Africa will aim to retain their title in Morocco from July 5-27, 2025. Meanwhile, the Banyana training camp kicks off this Sunday.
