Thembi Kgatlana reflects on debut season with Mexico’s Tigres

The Randfontein-born speedster joined the then-reigning league champions UANL Tigres midway through the campaign and went on to feature 18 times – 16 in the league and two in the end of the season play-offs. 

Kgatlana is proud to have registered six goals and five assists in her brief stay with the club so far.

"My season is Mexico was very fruitful, I came in halfway through the season and was able to score six goals and five assists, so in four or five months, for me that was a good season with Tigres," she told SABC Sport.

However, Kgatlana admitted disappointment over their failure to make the final of the play-offs – in which they were knocked out in the semi-finals, but says it was a great experience nonetheless.

"It was disappointing not to make it all the way to the finals, but the play-offs were amazing. I loved the atmosphere, I loved how the supporters came out to support their teams and how, in those two weeks, everyone was just talking about women's football," she added.

"But, as we know, the final is only for two teams and the two teams who did make it to the final, everyone else tried hard to [beat]."

The former Racing Louisville forward reckons the major difference between the Mexican women’s league and the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA is the number of matches played, with 14 teams in the US as compared to 18 in Mexico.

"The difference between the two leagues is basically the number of teams – there are 18 teams in Mexico, and 14 now in the US," she explained.

"But when I played there, they had 12, so at the end of the day, the season is longer and more intense in terms of having to prepare for and play the games."

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