Lawrence Siphiwe Tshabalala (/sɪˈpiːweɪ ˌtʃæbəˈlɑːlə/; born 25 September 1984) is a South African professional soccer player who most recently played as a midfielder for AmaZulu.
[5] Tshabalala played at the Kaizer Chiefs academy but only broke through to the senior team after spells with Alexandra United and Free State Stars.
In January 2007 Chiefs brought back their own product after Ea Lla Koto was relegated to the National First Division at the end of the 2005/06 campaign.
coincidentally took place at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, the same venue where Tshabalala had scored a similar goal against Mexico in the world cup five years earlier.
On 11 June 2010, gaining his 50th cap for the nation of South Africa,[18] he scored the opening goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Mexico in the 55th minute, which erupted the full Soccer City (FNB Stadium) into wild celebrations.
[23] Tshabalala's mother Rebecca Hadifele "Hadi" Makhubu (1965–2010) died on 5 December 2010, after sustaining a head injury after falling at a bridal shower which she was attending with her husband Isaac.
The funeral was attended by notable figures such as Pitso Mosimane, Jimmy Tau, Morgan Gould as well as a performance by Joyous Celebration.
[24] A Limpopo man named Samson Nangani claimed that Tshabalala was his child and lost contact with his mother while she was still pregnant.
[25] Tshabalala was involved in a love scandal with Zanele Khanye Skhosana and former Atlético Madrid academy player Robin Ngalande, where one of them allegedly impregnated her.