Tebogo Tlolane (born 21 December 1994), nicknamed Messi, is a South African soccer player who plays as a winger or midfielder for National First Division side Leicesterford City F.C..
Club career Tlolane was born in Johannesburg and started his football career at Jomo Cosmos in 2016. After making over 70 appearances for the club across all competitions, he moved to Chippa United in 2018. His performances as an attacking left-sided player earned him a transfer to Orlando Pirates in 2019, where he made his debut against AmaZulu on 20 August 2019.
During his tenure at Pirates, Tlolane spent several successful loan spells at Maritzburg United, becoming a vital part of the squad that secured top-flight survival during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In August 2023, he joined Golden Arrows on a free transfer, appearing 10 times for the Durban-based side.
In January 2026, Tlolane signed with National First Division side Leicesterford City F.C. He made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal for the club and providing veteran leadership in their push for promotion. He was reunited at the club with former Pirates teammate Fortune Makaringe.
International career Tlolane was called up to the South African national team for the 2023 COSAFA Cup, where he made his international debut. As of March 2026, he has earned 8 caps for Bafana Bafana, representing the country in both the 2025 ANC qualifiers and the 2026 CHAN tournament.
Style of play Tlolane is a highly versatile footballer, known for his technical quality and tactical flexibility. While he is most effective as an attacking right or left winger, he possesses the footballing intelligence, movement, and vision to play centrally in midfield. His ability to deliver precise crosses from wide areas, combined with his playmaking instinct when drifting inside, makes him a significant dual threat in offensive transitions.
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Club career Tlolane was born in Johannesburg and started his football career at Jomo Cosmos in 2016. After making over 70 appearances for the club across all competitions, he moved to Chippa United in 2018. His performances as an attacking left-sided player earned him a transfer to Orlando Pirates in 2019, where he made his debut against AmaZulu.
During his tenure at Pirates, Tlolane spent several successful loan spells at Maritzburg United, becoming a vital part of the squad that secured top-flight survival. In August 2023, he joined Golden Arrows on a free transfer, appearing 10 times for the Durban-based side.
In January 2026, Tlolane signed with National First Division side Leicesterford City F.C. He made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal for the club and providing veteran leadership in their push for promotion. He is currently reunited at the club with former Pirates teammate Fortune Makaringe.
International career Tlolane was called up to the South African national team for the 2023 COSAFA Cup, where he made his international debut. As of March 2026, he has earned 8 caps for Bafana Bafana, representing the country in both the 2025 ANC qualifiers and the 2026 CHAN tournament.
Style of play Known for his versatility, Tlolane is comfortable playing anywhere along the left flank, including left-back, left wing-back, and left winger. He is noted for his technical ability, dribbling skills, and delivery from wide areas, which earned him the nickname "Messi" during his developmental years. Under coach Stanford Nkoane at Leicesterford City, he has frequently been deployed in more advanced attacking roles to utilize his goal-scoring instinct and playmaking vision.
References
Club career Born in Johannesburg, Tlolane started his career at Jomo Cosmos but was released by the club in 2018, and went on to join Chippa United. In the summer of 2019, he signed for Orlando Pirates, and made his debut for the club on 20 August 2019 in a 0–0 draw with AmaZulu. In January 2020, Tlolane joined Maritzburg United on loan until the end of the season. In June 2020, the deal was extended for one further season. However, he was recalled in September 2020. In October 2020, he returned to Maritzburg United on a season-long loan. He moved to Golden Arrows in August 2023.
International career Tlolane was called up for South Africa for the 2023 COSAFA Cup, where he made his international debut.
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