South Africa senior women’s football team forward Thembi Kgatlana has been ruled out of the rest of Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) matches in Morocco.
Banyana Banyana doctor Rodney Mokoka told South African Football Association (SAFA) website that Kgatlana sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in the Group C match against Botswana on Sunday.
The Spain-based player was stretchered off in the 69th minute of the match which Banyana Banyana won 1-0.
He said the player will return to South Africa for an operation.
“Thembi Kgatlana sustained a complete rupture of the left Achilles tendon against Botswana, which was confirmed by the MRI scan this morning. Unfortunately, she will be out for the whole WAFCON 2022 tournament and she is due for an operation back home in South Africa,” Mokoka told www.safa.net on Monday.
“Post operation healing will be guided by certain milestones that we have to achieve, of course, a comprehensive functional rehabilitation programme will be in place for her but the quicker we achieve those milestones the quicker she will be back in the field of play.”
Mokoka added that Jermaine Seoposenwe also suffered from
soft tissue injury of the ankle against Botswana.
She is expected to start training on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s quarterfinal game against Tunisia at the Stade Prince Moulay Al Hassan, Rabat.