'Emotional' Banyana hero Kgatlana praises team-mates after making history: 'Everyone deserves it'

Banyana Banyana hero Thembi Kgatlana hailed her team-mates after her 92nd winner against Italy in Wellington on Wednesday booked South Africa a spot in the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup. 

Banyana won 3-2 in a pulsating match that see-sawed between both sides to make history and become the first South African side - male or female - to progress to the knockouts of a World Cup. 

It will go down as one of the great moments in the country's proud football history, and the enormity of the occasion was etched all over Kgatlana's face as she gave her post-match television interview as stand-in captain on the night. 

READ | Never say die! Banyana Banyana make World Cup history

"I'm emotional," she said.

"I've been in camp pushing every day. I chose to be with this team and we've got a lot of criticism.

"It's football and it's about who wants it the best." 

A goal that will be remembered for a very long time!A goal that secured Banyana Banyana’s first-ever #FIFAWWC win.What a moment for South Africa! ?? #HereForHer pic.twitter.com/pt2Zfv7UJK

Kgatlana then revealed that, personally, she had endured an incredibly difficult few weeks that had threatened her participation at the World Cup. 

"Over the last three weeks I've lost three family members. I could have gone home, but I chose to stay with my girls, because that's how much it means," she said. 

"I've [also] come back from a very brutal injury and for me to be here and play for the country and represent every girl that wanted to be here and make history with the girls for South Africa, everyone deserves it.

"It was a team effort.

"We might have messed the two games up, but this one was something we had to dig deep for. The girls are happy and we have made history."

Banyana lost 2-1 to