South African star Linda Motlhalo is coming back to the NWSL.
Racing Louisville added to its attacking corps with the signing of the 25-year-old Motlhalo, who will join the team from Scottish league champion Glasgow City FC. Louisville paid an undisclosed transfer fee to acquire Motlhalo. She’ll join Racing Louisville ahead of the upcoming 2024 campaign.
Motlhalo signed a two-year contract through the 2025 campaign with a mutual option for 2026.
Motlhalo, who first played in the NWSL with the Houston Dash in 2018, has 20 goals in 72 appearances for the South Africa national team, first breaking through with the senior team as a 17-year-old. She has played in two FIFA Women’s World Cups, including this past summer, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in addition to winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
“Linda is a great addition to our club, both as a player and person,” said Ryan Dell, Racing Louisville’s general manager. “We are really excited to sign a world-class talent who can create and score goals. She already has immense international experience at just 25, and her previous time in the NWSL will help her adjust quickly to our team. We’re looking forward to her joining the group and hitting the ground running.”
“I am very excited for the new journey and new challenge that I am about to embark on,” said Motlhalo. To be playing in the NWSL for Racing Louisville FC, it is an honor, and I will give absolutely everything I have to help this team win. I am grateful for the opportunity, and I am loooking forward to the season.”
A versatile attacking player who can play centrally or out wide, Motlhalo (pronounced Mo-TAO-low) comes to Racing after a year at Glasgow City in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, where she tallied four goals and seven assists in 32 appearances. Her assist on Glasgow City’s game-winner against rival Rangers pushed GCFC to its 16th Scottish league title.
Motlhalo started in each of Glasgow City’s four 2023 UEFA Women’s Champions League matches this past fall, pushing the Scottish side into Round 2 of the qualification tournament.
Lining up alongside former Racing forward Thembi Kgatlana, Motlhalo caught the attention of Racing’s coaching staff in friendlies last fall against the U.S. Women’s National Team.
“Her deception and creativity stood out early, and it was evident quickly that we wanted her to be a part of our squad,” Racing coach Bev Yanez said. “She is exciting to watch and dangerous on the ball, especially with her awareness of how to expose space quickly.”
At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Motlhalo scored once in four starts, helping South Africa reach the knockout stage for the first time in the nation’s history.
Motlhalo was also integral in Banyana Banyana’s run to its 2022 African championship, with two goals in six appearances. Her penalty in the fourth minute of added time served as the game-winner in the Cup of Nations semifinal.
Before Glasgow City, Motlhalo spent three years with Swedish club Djugårdens IF in the top-flight Damallsvenskan, with seven goals and three assists in 75 appearances. She played a year for Beijing BG Phoenix in China in 2019.
With Houston, Motlhalo again played alongside Kgatlana, making 20 starts in 21 appearances as a 19-year-old.
In her return to the U.S., Motlhalo joins an attacking group that features Nigerian international Uchenna Kanu, young forwards Kirsten (Davis) Wright and Parker Goins and recently drafted collegiate stars Reilyn Turner and Emma Sears.
