Former Tech star helping South Africa make World Cup history

Nomvula Kgoale, a former Louisiana Tech soccer player, is helping her home country of South Africa on an unprecedented run in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Kgoale, who played for Tech from 201618, is one of the key members of the South Africa team that advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time ever. Her hometown is Polokwane in South Africa.

In her time in Ruston, Kgoale helped the Techsters win 41 matches and earn two trips to the C- USA Tournament semifinals.

Kevin Sherry, former Tech head soccer coach who coached Kgoale, couldn’t put into enough words how special it is seeing a former player of his reach a global stage like this.

“It’s hard to explain. It’s a very emotional experience,” Sherry said. “It’s something very few people get to be a part of and see something like that.”

Sherry remembers Kgoale as a technical player with fast movement who stayed calm on the ball from the first moment he worked with her. With natural talent already in her game, Sherry said Tech coaches worked to turn her strengths into elite traits, and it ended up paying off.

“That’s what made her stand out from the rest was her calmness under pressure,” Sherry said. “ It was plainly obvious to anyone with eyes in their sockets she was very talented.”

At Tech, Kgoale played in 54 matches with 10 career goals and 29 points. She was three- time All- Conference USA selection and a two- time All-Louisiana selection from the LSWA as well.

In the spring of 2019, Kgoale was weeks shy of graduating with a degree in Geographical Information Science when she was invited to participate in the South Africa Senior Women’s National Team camp. On May 12, 2019, she made her senior debut with South Africa ( Banyana Banyana) in an international friendly against the U.S. Women’s National Team in Santa Clara, California.

South Africa defeated Italy on Wednesday to advance to the knockout stage as one of 16 teams remaining for worldwide glory.

Now, the team faces a soccer power in The Netherlands, who finished as runner up to the United States in the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

South Africa takes on The Netherlands at 9 p.m. Saturday on FOX. If South Africa wins, it would play the winner of Switzerland and Spain on Thursday in quarterfinal round at 8 p.m.

“Can you image your school is being mentioned when a player is being highlighted or introduced like that? That gives your brand a global market,” Sherry said. “You can’t buy that.”

The United States takes on Sweden at 4 a.m. Sunday morning in the knockout stage.