Banyana Banyana midfielder Linda Motlhalo may be quiet off the pitch, but she does her talking on it, writes Nick Said.
Linda Motlhalo was a shy 19-year-old when I first met her in Houston, Texas, where she was playing for local side Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), regarded as the best competition in the world in the ladies’ game.
She was there under former Banyana Banyana coach Vera Pauw, and with national teammates Janine van Wyk and Thembi Kgatlana. Despite her young age, Motlhalo was already an established name in the national team, who had been to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games two years earlier and had tongues wagging over her effortless style and vision as a playmaker in midfield.
“Linda is a very skilful player with a great awareness of the game and a great feeling for the moments [to go] forward,” Pauw told SoccerClub at the time. “She showed that already at the Rio Olympics.
“She was already the attacking midfielder of Banyana Banyana then. She is very talented‚ and I have no doubt that she can grow into a top star in the world.”
Van Wyk echoed those sentiments and made a bold prediction.
“Linda has an eye for always going forward and making the penetrative passes‚ and when she reaches her peak at 25 or 26 years old‚ she is probably going to be one of the best players in the world‚“ Van Wyk said.
“If she carries on the way she is‚ she has a really bright future.”
Motlhalo is 25 now and while she has not yet developed into a global great, she certainly is one of the best in Africa, having helped her country to back-to-back Women’s World Cup qualifications and the Africa Cup of Nations title.
She was a key figure in all of those. She is indispensable to her national team and when she is not there, they are noticeably poorer in their ability to manage the midfield.
Since her year spent in Houston she has played at Beijing BG Phoenix (China), Djurgården (Sweden), Glasgow City (Scotland), and is now back in the NWSL at Racing Louisville, the former club of Kgatlana.
“Her deception and creativity stood out early, and it was evident quickly that we wanted her to be a part of our squad,” Racing coach Bev Yanez told the club’s website.
“She is exciting to watch and dangerous on the ball, especially with her awareness of how to expose space quickly.”
It has been a bit of a slow burner for her this campaign as she adjusts back to the rigours of the NWSL, but she has all the quality to make it work and with her best years ahead of her, leave a lasting legacy.
With the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations postponed to June/July 2025, there will not be all that much activity with Banyana over the next 12 months.
“I do not only represent my team or just my family, but I also represent kids from back home,” Motlhalo said.
“It’s very important for us [Banyana] to achieve things and make history for the next generation.”
