Thabo Matlaba

Thabo Matlaba

Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-12-13) 13 December 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Tembisa, South Africa
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Lamontville Golden Arrows F.C.
Number	28
Youth career
	Leicester City (South Africa)
	Mighty Tigers
	M Tigers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2011	Free State Stars	33	(3)
2012–2019	Orlando Pirates	149	(9)
2019–2020	Black Leopards	24	(1)
2020–2021	Swallows	40	(0)
2022–2025	Royal AM	72	(5)
2025–	Lamontville Golden Arrows F.C.	9	(0)
International career‡
2011–	South Africa	29	(1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 4 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 November 2016

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 Golden Arrows. 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.

Club career

Orlando Pirates

Matlaba played for Orlando Pirates from the 2012 till 2019. ^[1]

Golden Arrows

In 2025 he joined Premier Soccer League club Golden Arrows. ^[2]

International career

Matlaba made his debut for South Africa on 14 May 2011 versus Tanzania in an international friendly. ^[3]

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. ^{[4] [5]}

Career statistics

Club

As of 30 January 2018 ^[6]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

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

1. Appearances in MTN 8
2. Three appearances in MTN 8, eight appearances in CAF Champions League

International

Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first. ^[6]

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

1. "Former Orlando Pirates captain Thabo Matlaba breaks silence over his controversial exit - 'Rhulani and Happy Jele were close' | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
2. Sithole, Sinethemba (13 April 2025). "Thabo Matlaba & one other Royal AM star spotted at Golden Arrows". FARPost. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
3. "Bafana defeat Taifa Stars". Supersport. 14 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
4. Eslick, Daniel (25 March 2013). "South Africa Player of the Week: Thabo Matlaba". Goal.com. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
5. "Thabo Matlaba". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
6. "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