Striker Thembi Kgatlani has spoken out on Banyana Banyana's WAFCON exit and shed some light on her shock absence from the national team.
The defending champions were dumped out of the continental competition on Tuesday evening after a 2-1 loss to the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
Banyana had needed penalties to get past Senegal in the quarter-final, after having progressed as group leaders in the group stages.
READ | Chiefs star: You want to play, but you can't
Meanwhile, speculation has been rife about the unexplained absence of Kgatlana from the squad, particularly with Desiree Ellis' side failing to score from open play in one of their two knockout matches.
The 2018 CAF Women's Player of the Year took to social media platform Instagram, to shed light on her absence, insisting that it.
"It was difficult for me to watch Banyana Banyana exit WAFCON 2024 from the sidelines last night, but I am proud of the girls' fight and achievement.
"My absence from the tournament has drawn speculation, but I want to simply clarify that I am taking a pre-arranged leave of absence from all football for personal reasons.
"I love representing my country and will do so again in the future.
"To Tigres fans concerned that I have not returned to Mexico, I will see you all again very soon and will continue to give my all for the shirt.
"There is nothing to worry about and no deeper story. Thank you for all the concern."
ALSO READ | Saleng breaks silence on Orbit switch
Banyana still have a third-place playoff for a Bronze medal to play for against Ghana, and the match will be played on Friday evening.
Kick off is at 21:00
