Johannesburg - Thembi Kgatlana has reacted to being ruled out of the rest of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
On Monday morning, Banyana Banyana team doctor Rodney Mokoka confirmed that Kgatlana sustained a ruptured Achilles Tendon during their Group C final clash against Botswana, following an MRI scan.
Despite the Banyana stalwart being stretched off in the 69th minute, coach Desiree Ellis’ women went on to win the encounter 1-0 to make passage to the quarter-final - thanks to a late Nthabiseng Majiya strike.
Banyana will face Tunisia in the last eight of the continental showpiece at the Stade Moulay Stadium on Thursday night, knowing very well that a win will edge them closer to their maiden continental crown.
In the bigger scheme of things, though, Banyana’s progression to the semi-final will mean that they’d also qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
This would be their second global showpiece after making their maiden entrance in the last edition in 2019 in France where they crashed out in the group stage having finished as finalists in the 2018 Wafcon.
Banyana’s bid to win the Wafcon and qualify for the World Cup will be a huge task without Kgatlana though.
But the Racing Louisville FC striker is not feeling sorry for herself. A feat that could serve as a motivation to the rest of her teammates to complete the task at hand.
Injuries are a part of sports. If we can allow to control our emotions of joy, peace and jubilation so can we control our emotions through disappointments, setbacks and challenges. Thank you for all your heartfelt messages. I WILL BE BACK! #MakeJesusYourAim #TK11 🙏![CDATA[]]>🙏![CDATA[]]>🙏 pic.twitter.com/fZy3wSN6kA
— Thembi Kgatlana (@Kgatlanathe1st) July 12, 2022
“Injuries are a part of sports,” Kgatlana tweeted on Tuesday morning.
“If we can control our emotions of joy, peace and jubilation, so can we control our emotions through disappointments, setbacks and challenges. Thank you for all your heartfelt messages. I WILL BE BACK!”
IOL Sport