Refilwe Tholakele
 Tholekele in August 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Refilwe Tebogo Tholekele | ||
| Date of birth | 26 January 1996[1] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2022 | Township Rollers | ||
| 2022 | Malabo Kings | ||
| 2023– | Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies | 28 | (13) |
| International career | |||
| 2016– | Botswana | 23 | (16) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Refilwe Tebogo Tholekele (born 26 January 1996), nicknamed Seven,[2] is a Motswana footballer who plays as a forward for Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies F.C. and the Botswana women's national team.[3][4][5]
Early life
[edit]Tholakele started playing competitive football in 2007. At the age of 13, she was called up to a Botswana women's national under-17 team training camp where head coach Jacqueline Gaobinelwe nicknamed her "Seven" due to Tholakele's preference for the shirt number and being a Standard Seven student.[2]
Club career
[edit]Township Rollers
[edit]In 2014, Tholakele signed with the women's team of Township Rollers F.C.[2]
Malabo Kings F.C.
[edit]In August 2022, Tholakele signed with Equatoguinean team Malabo Kings F.C. on a one-year deal. She made a premature exit from the club, citing issues with late payments and poor accommodation.[6][7]
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
[edit]In May 2023, Tholakele signed with SAFA Women's League team Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies F.C.[8] She scored on her debut in a 3–0 win over University of Johannesburg FC.[9] They won the 2023 CAF Women's Champions league with Tholakele making it into the team of the tournament.[10]
International career
[edit]Tholakele is a former captain of the Botswana women's national under-20 football team.[2]
International goals
[edit]| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 April 2016 | Curepipe, Mauritius |  Mauritius | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2016 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 4–0 | |||||
| 3. | 17 September 2017 | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe |  South Africa | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 4. | 9 November 2020 | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |  Zimbabwe | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 5. | 12 November 2020 | iBhayi, South Africa |  Zambia | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| 6. | 29 September 2021 | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |  South Sudan | 1–0 | 7–0 | 2021 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 7. | 4–0 | |||||
| 8. | 6–0 | |||||
| 9. | 20 October 2021 | Luanda, Angola |  Angola | 1–0 | 5–1 | 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 10. | 4–1 | |||||
| 11. | 18 February 2022 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
| 12. | 4 July 2022 | Rabat, Morocco |  Burundi | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations |
| 13. | 4–1 | |||||
| 14. | 2 July 2023 | Brakpan, South Africa | South Africa | 4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 15. | 5–0 | |||||
Honours
[edit]Club
Individual
- CAF Women's Champions League Team of the Tournament: 2023
References
[edit]- ↑ "Refilwe Tholekele Stats". FBRef. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 "Dazzling Tholakele makes firm statement". Mmegi. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ↑ "Botswana touring Slovakia ahead of Banyana clash". Samuel Ahmadu. Goal. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ↑ "COSAFA Women's Championship: Botswana name provisional squad". Kick442. 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ↑ "Female Zebras In Historic COSAFA Final". Portia Mlilo. TheVoicebw. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ↑ Makhaiza, Larona (24 February 2023). "'Freedom' looms for Seven, Odinga". Mmegi. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ↑ Khutsafalo, Boitumelo (7 October 2022). "BFA awaits official report on Tholakele, Mochawe". Mmegi. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ↑ Mollo, Tlotlisang (19 May 2023). "Jerry Tshabalala on Sundowns Ladies' new signing". FARPost. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ↑ Mfundisi, Mimi (16 May 2023). "Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies regain top spot". SApeople.com. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ↑ "CAF Women's Champions League, Cote d'Ivoire Best Xl confirmed". CAF. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
External links
[edit]- Refilwe Tholakele at Soccerway
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- 1996 births
- Living people
- Botswana women's footballers
- Women's association football forwards
- Botswana women's international footballers
- Botswana expatriate women's footballers
- Expatriate women's footballers in Equatorial Guinea
- Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies F.C. players
- SAFA Women's League players
- 21st-century Botswana sportswomen
- 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players
- CAF Women's Champions League–winning players