| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Noko Alice Matlou[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1985-09-30)30 September 1985 (age 40) | ||
| Place of birth | Moletjie, South Africa | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | CP Cacereño Femenino | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Development Ladies | |||
| Brazilian Ladies | |||
| 2013- | University of Johannesburg | ||
| -2019 | Ma-Indies Ladies | ||
| 2021–2024 | Eibar | 40 | (0) |
| 2024- | CP Cacereño Femenino | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006–2025 | South Africa | 174 | (66) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 May 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 5 April 2025 | |||
Noko Alice Matlou (born 30 September 1985) is a South African professionalsoccer player who plays as adefender for SpanishPrimera Federación sideCP Cacereño Femenino. She has played for theSouth Africa women's national team both as astriker and a defender.
In 2008, Matlou became the first South African to receive a CAF award when she was namedAfrican Women's Footballer of the Year.[2]
Matlou has represented theSouth Africa women's national football team 174 times, including at the2012,2016 Summer Olympics and the2019, and2023 FIFA Women's World Cups. She is the second most capped African player.[3]
At a club level, she played forMa-Indies Ladies. She has previously played for Development Ladies, Brazilian Ladies and theUniversity of Johannesburg. Within footballing circles, she is nicknamed "Beep-Beep".[4]
In 2008, she became the first South African to be namedAfrican Women's Footballer of the Year by theConfederation of African Football.[5]
In August 2024, she signed a 1-year contract withPrimera Federación sideCP Cacereño Femenino.[6]
Matlou made her debut forSouth Africa women's national football team ("Banyana Banyana") in December 2006.[7] In September 2009, Matlou was subjected to a gender "inspection" by areferee in the presence of the oppositioncaptain, before South Africa's match againstGhana atCaledonian Stadium,Pretoria. She was allowed to play in the match after being confirmed as female.[8]
Matlou came to prominence within the national team by scoring six goals at the2008 African Women's Championship.[7] She has been selected for the squads for a variety of tournaments, including at the2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom.[4] In 2014, South Africa'scoachVera Pauw deployed Matlou—previously a striker, as adefender.[9]
In March 2025 she announced her retirement from international football after the April international break.[10] Her last match would be againstMalawi. Matlou captained Banyana Banyana on her 174th cap in a 3-0 win over Malawi at UJ Soweto campus on 5 April 2025.[11] She is the second most capped African player behindJanine van Wyk (185 caps).[12]
South Africa
Individual
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South Africa squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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COSAFA Women's Championship awards | |
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| Golden Ball | |
| Golden Boot | |
| Golden Glove | |
