Lebogang Moloto

Lebogang "Lebo" Moloto (born 21 May 1990) is a South African football player who currently plays for FC Tulsa in the USL Championship.

Lebogang Moloto
Moloto with Riverhounds, 2016
Personal information
Full name Matshidiso Lebogang Moloto
Date of birth (1990-05-21) 21 May 1990
Place of birth Polokwane, South Africa[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 FC Tulsa
Number 30
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Des Moines Menace 34 (11)
2014 United FC
2015–2016 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 52 (7)
2017 Swope Park Rangers 33 (7)
2018–2019 Nashville SC 59 (12)
2020– FC Tulsa 15 (1)
National team‡
2007–2008 South Africa U17
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:52, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14:18, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

Career

Youth and college

Moloto moved to the United States to play college soccer at Lindsey Wilson College[2] in 2009. Moloto was offered a scholarship after his coach at Lindsey Wilson saw him in an international youth tournament in Cape Town at age 16.[3][4] Moloto went on to play for the Blue Raiders for four seasons, amassing 42 goals and 20 assists in 83 career matches. Moloto won multiple individual and club honors including being named an NAIA All-American each season and winning the NAIA Most Outstanding Offensive Player award as a freshman. The team also won two national titles with Moloto as a member.[1][5]

Semi-professional

While enrolled at Lindsey Wilson College, Moloto also played for the Des Moines Menace of the semi-professional Premier Development League.[5] Over three seasons with the club, he tallied 11 goals and six assists in 34 appearances.[6][7][8] Moloto also made multiple appearances in the U.S. Open Cup with the club, including a two-goal performance against the Milwaukee Bavarians on 15 May 2012 which saw them advance to the second round to play the Minnesota Stars.[9]

Professional
Moloto (left) coming off for Max Touloute on Riverhounds debut

Moloto was selected by Seattle Sounders FC with the 54th pick in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft[5] but was ultimately not signed by the club after leaving camp to continue his schooling.[10] He was expected to rejoin the club in the future after completing his degree.[11] Originally, Moloto was expected to be a first or second round pick in the MLS SuperDraft but saw his stock fall going into the MLS Combine.[3]

On 2 March 2015, it was announced that Moloto was returning to the United States after signing a contract with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for the 2015 USL season.[5] Prior to signing with Pittsburgh, Molota had a stint with United FC of the National First Division in his native South Africa.[12] Only days after signing for the club, Moloto scored the game-winning goal of a 2-0 victory over the Western Illinois Leathernecks of Western Illinois University in the Riverhounds' first preseason match of 2015.[13] Moloto made his league debut for the Riverhounds on 28 March 2015 in the club's opening match of the 2015 season, a 5-2 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders. He started the match for the club and provided an assist on Kevin Kerr's second goal before being subbed off for Max Touloute in the 77th minute.[14] Moloto scored his first competitive goal for the club in a U.S. Open Cup match against the West Virginia Chaos on 20 May 2015.[15] Three days later, he scored his first league goal in a 2–1 victory over the Richmond Kickers.[16] On May 30, 2015, the Riverhounds played what one columnist called the "club’s greatest ever game" as the team scored three goals in stoppage time for a 6–5 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders.[17] In the match, Moloto became the first player to tally three assists in a single match in league history.[18] The match's eleven total goals set a league regular season record for combined goals in a match.[19] Moloto finished the season with 6 goals and 7 assists in 24 league appearances, ranked third on the team in goals and second in assists[20] and included a goal in each of the final two matches of the season which saw Pittsburgh qualify for the playoffs. For his efforts, he was named the USL Player of the Week for Week 27.[21] In October 2015, the Riverhounds announced that Moloto was still under contract with the team for the 2016 season.[22]

Moloto scored the Riverhounds' first goal of the 2016 season as he recorded the first tally of a 2–1 preseason victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions on 28 February 2016.[23]

On December 12, 2017, Nashville SC announced they had acquired Moloto in a trade with Swope Park.[24] The club announced that Moloto would wear the number 10 shirt for the 2018 season.[25]

On 2 January 2020, Moloto joined USL Championship side FC Tulsa.[26]

International

Moloto has represented South Africa at the Under-17 level,[5] including being named to the squad for a friendly match against Zimbabwe Under-17 in June 2008 in preparation for the 2009 African U-17 Championship.[27] In 2007, South Africa reached the final of the 2007 COSAFA Youth Championship after Moloto scored the only goal of a 1-0 victory over Malawi Under-17 in the semi-finals.[28]

References
  1. "Lindsey Wilson Profile". Lindsey Wilson College. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  2. "Moloto's golden goal give Lindsey Wilson ninth title". 4 December 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  3. Ruiz, Don. "A little time with Supplemental picks Lebogang Moloto, and (the Levesque-like) Jennings Rex". The News Tribune. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  4. Lebo Moloto giving back to his hometown clubcountryusa.com
  5. "Riverhounds Sign Moloto for 2015 USL Season". Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  6. "2010 Stats". Premier Development League. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  7. "2011 Stats". Premier Development League. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  8. "2012 Stats". Premier Development League. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  9. "Recapping the 2012 Menace PDL Season". Des Moines Menace. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  10. Clark, Dave. "Scouting Remaining Trialists". Sounder at Heart. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  11. Mayers, Joshua. "One week to go until Sounders FC's opener: Who is signed? Who isn't?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  12. "2015 Riverhounds Roster". USL. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  13. "Hounds Start Pre-Season With Win Over Western Illinois". Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  14. "Pittsburgh vs. Harrisburg". USL. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  15. "Hounds Deal With a Chaos to Earn Rowdies Clash". Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  16. "Riverhounds Strike Early, Take Win Against Kickers". USL. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  17. "Hounds Beat Harrisburg In Club's Greatest Ever Game". Riverhounds. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  18. "The Week That Was: History On, Off Field". USL. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  19. "Daily Five: History At Highmark". USL. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  20. "2015 Stats". United Soccer League. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  21. "Pittsburgh's Moloto Named USL Player of the Week". United Soccer League. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  22. Grubba, Matt. "Riverhounds set sights on 2016". Tribune Review. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  23. "Hounds Start Preseason With Win At Penn State". Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  24. "Nashville SC Acquires Lebo Moloto in trade with Swope Park Rangers". Nashvillesc.com. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  25. "Nashville SC on Twitter: "Our #⃣1⃣0⃣ Take a look at the making of @LeboMoloto22's jersey for our first game. #OurTownOurClub… "". Twitter.com. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  26. "TULSA'S No. 10: Veteran Playmaker Moloto Signs Deal". USLChampionship.com. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  27. "Fourth Sono makes a name for himself". Kickoff.com. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  28. "ZIMBABWE U17 END ZAMBIA U17 COSAFA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP DREAMS". Lusaka Times. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
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