Lawrence Siphiwe Tshabalala (; born 25 September 1984) is a South African professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who most recently played as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for

AmaZulu Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...

. He is considered to be one of the most well-known and decorated South African soccer players of his generation. He was the first player to make his international debut while still playing in the

National First Division The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African club association football, football after the South African Premier Division. Both t ...

. At 90 caps, he is the second most capped player of the South African national team and played at three

African Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internati ...

editions and the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

, at which he scored the first goal on 11 June 2010 which was nominated for the

FIFA Puskás Award The FIFA Puskás Award is an award established on 20 October 2009 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA), at the behest of then-president Sepp Blatter, to be awarded to the male or female judged to have scored the mo ...

. Tshabalala, who was recently released by Amazulu FC, is a winger but has played other midfielder roles.

Early life

Tshabalala was born on 25 September 1984 in Phiri, as the first born of two children to parents Isaac Tshabalala (born 1964) and Hadifele Rebecca (née Makhubu) (1965–2010). His younger sister is named Mpumi. He grew up and lived in a face brick house until he was 19, that was owned by his grandparents. He lived there with his cousins and sister. His father worked as a taxi driver. He attended secondary school at Seanamarena Secondary School in Phiri,

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

. Tshabalala aspired to be a chartered accountant as a young boy.

Club career

Kaizer Chiefs

Tshabalala played at the

Kaizer Chiefs Kaizer Chiefs Football Club (often known as Chiefs) are a South African professional football club based in Naturena, Johannesburg South, that plays in the Premier Soccer League. The team is nicknamed ''AmaKhosi'', which means "Lords" or "Chie ...

academy but only broke through to the senior team after spells with Alexandra United and

Free State Stars Free State Stars Football club is a South African professional football club based in Bethlehem, Free State that plays in the National First Division. Formerly known as Makwane Computer Stars and Qwa Qwa Stars, their most significant honour i ...

. In January 2007 Chiefs brought back their own product after Ea Lla Koto was relegated to the

at the end of the 2005/06 campaign. At the time, Tshabalala was then sidelined for six months due to a serious knee injury.

2007–08 season

Tshabalala eventually made his debut in a 1–0 loss to

Bidvest Wits Bidvest Wits Football Club, (simply often known as Wits University F.C. or Wits) was a South African professional football club from Johannesburg which played in the Premier Soccer League the first-tier of South African league football system. ...

on 31 August 2007. Tshabalala made his Soweto derby debut on 24 November 2007 in a 2–2 draw. Tshabalala played his first ever cup final on 1 December 2007 in the

Telkom Knockout The Telkom Knockout was a South African professional football knockout competition which comprised the 16 teams in the South African Premier Soccer League. The competition was established in 1982 and was first known as the Datsun Challenge. Under ...

winning after a penalty shootout against

Mamelodi Sundowns Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premier Soccer League, the first tier of South African football l ...

and played the full 120 minutes. He scored his first Chiefs goal on 12 December 2007 in a 4–2 win over

Golden Arrows Lamontville Golden Arrows F.C. are a South African soccer club based in Durban that plays in the Premier Soccer League. History It was founded in 1943 in the streets of Lamontville, a township in Durban. The club played in the defunct Nation ...

2008–09 season

Tshabalala continued to consistently deliver great goals, winning him the Player and Players’ Player of the Year at the

Awards Ceremony. He also picked up the Website Player of the Year, Goal of the Season and Readers’ Choice awards. All-and-all Tshabalala left the awards with R170 000 in prize-money, as well as a

Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...

X-Trail.

2015–16 season

On 25 August 2015, Tshabalala gained attention for a volleyed goal from well outside the area which was nominated as one of the goals of the South African season. The goal, which came in a 4–0 win over Free State Stars F.C. coincidentally took place at the

FNB Stadium First National Bank Stadium or simply FNB Stadium ( af, ENB-stadion), also known as Soccer City ( af, Sokkerstad) and The Calabash, is an association football (soccer) and Rugby union stadium located in Nasrec, bordering the Soweto area of Johan ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

, the same venue where Tshabalala had scored a similar goal against Mexico in the world cup five years earlier. He made a total of 372 appearances scoring 58 goals.

Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor

On 28 August 2018, Kaizer Chiefs announced that Tshabalala would be leaving for Turkish side

Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor Erzurumspor Futbol Kulübü, is a Turkish professional football club located in Erzurum who plays in the Süper Lig, the top tier of Turkish football. Founded in 2005, the colours of club are blue and white. The club started to play football c ...

AmaZulu

Tshabalala returned to South Africa in October 2020, joining

South African Premier Division The South African Premier Division, officially referred to as the DStv Premiership for sponsorship purposes, is the premier men's professional football/soccer league and the highest division in the league system of South Africa, organized sinc ...

club

AmaZulu F.C. AmaZulu Football Club (Simply often known as AmaZulu) is a South African professional soccer club based in the city of Durban in the KwaZulu Natal province, that plays in the Premier Soccer League the first-tier of South African football l ...

He signed a one-year contract with the option of a second year. He was released in August 2021.

International career

Tshabalala was one of the first players to be called up to the national team while still playing in the

. Tshabalala made his national team debut in a friendly against

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

on 14 January 2006. He was part of the South African squad at

2006 African Nations Cup The 2006 Africa Cup of Nations was the 25th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa. It was hosted by Egypt. Just like in 2004, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Egypt won ...

2008 African Nations Cup The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confede ...

, 2013 African Nations Cup, and the

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Joh ...

. On 11 June 2010, gaining his 50th cap for the nation of South Africa, he scored the opening goal of the

against

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

in the 55th minute, which erupted the full Soccer City (FNB Stadium) into wild celebrations. The game finished a 1–1 draw. That goal eventually made the shortlist for the Puskas Award, a nomination for goal of the year by

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

. In October 2017, Tshabalala was called up to two of South Africa's World Cup qualifying matches against Senegal – for the first time since 2014.

Style of play

Goal.com described Tshabalala as "a tricky winger with pace and can deliver fantastic crosses. His left boot can pack a powerful shot and he is a great option for set pieces as he has the ability to bend the ball".

Endorsements

In October 2009, Tshabalala and

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

Cesc Fàbregas Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Italian Serie B club Como. Fàbregas came through ''La Masia'', Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when h ...

were the first two players to launch the new

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

CTR360 Maestri boots.

Personal life

Tshabalala's mother Rebecca Hadifele "Hadi" Makhubu (1965–2010) died on 5 December 2010, after sustaining a head injury after falling at a

bridal shower A bridal shower is a gift-giving party held for a bride-to-be in anticipation of her wedding. The history of the custom is rooted not necessarily for the provision of goods for the upcoming matrimonial home, but to provide goods and financial ass ...

which she was attending with her husband Isaac. She was buried at the

Avalon Cemetery Avalon Cemetery is one of the largest graveyards in South Africa. It was opened in 1972, during the height of apartheid, as a graveyard exclusively for black people. The huge extension was officially opened on 9 February by Matshidiso Mfikoe, at ...

on 11 December 2010 in

. The funeral was attended by notable figures such as

Pitso Mosimane Pitso John Hamilton Mosimane (born 26 July 1964) is a South African professional football manager and a former player. He is the current manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli Jeddah. He is considered as one of the greatest coaches in Africa an ...

Jimmy Tau Jimmy Tau (born 23 July 1980 in Kimberley, Northern Cape, Kimberley, Northern Cape) is a South African former association football, soccer player who played as a Full-back (association football), right-back. He played for Kaizer Chiefs and Orla ...

, Morgan Gould as well as a performance by Joyous Celebration. A

Limpopo Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...

man named Samson Nangani claimed that Tshabalala was his child and lost contact with his mother while she was still pregnant. Tshabalala denied being his son. Tshabalala was involved in a love scandal with Zanele Khanye Skhosana and former

Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...

academy player Robin Ngalande, where one of them allegedly impregnated her. Tshabalala's first child, Owami, a boy, was born on 6 February 2015 by former Miss SA,

Bokang Montjane Bokang Montjane (born 5 May 1986 in Transvaal) is a South African model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss South Africa 2010, becoming the official representative of her country to the Miss Universe 2011 and Miss World 2011 p ...

whom he had been dating since 2012. The pair married in 2016.

International goals

:''Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tshabalala goal.''

Honours

Free State Stars *

Baymed Cup The Baymed Cup was a knockout cup competition for South Africa's 2nd-level football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their fe ...

: 2006 Kaizer Chiefs *

Absa Premiership The South African Premier Division, officially referred to as the DStv Premiership for sponsorship purposes, is the premier men's professional sports, professional association football, football/soccer league and the highest division in the leag ...

: 2012–2013, 2014–2015 *

MTN 8 MTN 8 is the current branding for a South African soccer cup competition launched in 1972 for teams who finished in the top 8 positions of the league table of the country's preceding top-flight league (currently the DStv Premiership) season. T ...

: 2008 *

Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, premier club association football, soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of givi ...

: 2013 *

: 2007, 2010, 2011 *

Vodacom Challenge The Vodacom Challenge was an association football pre-season tournament that featured Vodacom-sponsored South African clubs Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs plus from 2006 onwards an invited European club. Prior to 2006, the competition consisted ...

: 2009 *

Telkom Charity Cup The Telkom Charity Cup was a South African football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a r ...

: 2010 Individual *

SAFA Awards The South African Football Association (SAFA) Awards are awards given to football players and coaches of South African origin by the South African Football Association. The awards were formed in 2008. Player of the year Young Player of the Year ...

SAFA Footballer of the Year: 2010

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tshabalala, Siphiwe 1984 births Living people Sportspeople from Soweto Association football wingers Association football midfielders South African soccer players South Africa international soccer players Free State Stars F.C. players Kaizer Chiefs F.C. players AmaZulu F.C. players Büyükşehir Belediye Erzurumspor footballers 2006 Africa Cup of Nations players 2008 Africa Cup of Nations players 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2013 Africa Cup of Nations players South Africa A' international soccer players 2014 African Nations Championship players