Kgatlana, 27, who plays club football for Racing Louisville in the US National Women’s Soccer League, only recently recovered from an Achilles injury to be fit for the World Cup. That journey made this tournament even more important to her: “I came back from a very brutal injury to be here, to play for the country, to represent every single girl that wanted to be here, to make history with the girls for South Africa.”

In what was an exhilarating match, South Africa equalised in the 32nd minute through an own goal from Benedetta Orsi. They then went ahead after the hour mark from Hildah Magaia’s close-range shot, which Kgatlana assisted.

Though Italy thought they had salvaged their World Cup hopes with a 74th-minute equaliser from Arianna Caruso – who also scored the opener – Kgatlana’s stoppage-time winner ended up securing a historic win for the African nation.

“They fought like warriors,” said South Africa coach Desiree Ellis, who was a founding member of the South Africa women’s side in 1993. “They fought like the heroines that we know that they are. They fought to be historically remembered and they’ve made history not just getting our first win, but going to the round of 16 and that is freaking amazing.”

It was all the more impressive as South Africa had been locked in a dispute with their association over pay and other issues ahead of the World Cup. The squad refused to play their final warm-up game against Botswana ahead of travelling to Australia, forcing their coaches to scramble to pull together a group of inexperienced players which included a 13-year-old for the match.

On Sunday, South Africa will play the Netherlands in Sydney in the last-1

Women’s World Cup stadiums: Your guide to the venues

Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide 

Tournament capacity: 13,327
Home to professional football side Adelaide United who play in the A-League, Hindmarsh Stadium was one of the venues chosen to host preliminary matches for the men’s football at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Eden Park, Auckland

Tournament capacity: 40,536
Used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer, Eden Park will host the opening match of the tournament between co-hosts New Zealand and Norway. 

Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane

Tournament capacity: 46,851
Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, opened in 1914, on the site of the former North Brisbane Cemetery, and in its early days was home to multiple different sports, including cycling, athletics, and soccer. Will host several matches during the tournament, and matches at the 2032 Olympics.

Dunedin Stadium, Dunedin

Tournament capacity: 24,243
The ‘Glasshouse’ – as it is nicknamed – is located in Logan Park, Dunedin, and is the only fully roofed, natural turf stadium in the world. It uses this remarkable feature to collect rainwater that is used to irrigate the pitch grass.

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Tournament capacity: 16,271
Opened in 1925, the Waikato Stadium, which is a major sporting and cultural venue in Hamilton, hosts five group games with Argentina, Costa Rica, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Vietnam and Zambia all featuring.

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne

Tournament capacity: 24,870
Having previously been used for rugby league Four Nations matches in 2010 and 2014 and the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, will host group games and two Round of 16 ties.

Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth

Tournament capacity: 13,932
The stadium will host to five Women’s World Cup group games, kicking off with the Group D battle between Denmark and Asian champions China. Republic of Ireland will also play here, against Olympic champions Canada in Group B.

Stadium Australia, Sydney

Tournament capacity: 69,314
The jewel in the crown of Australian football grounds, the stadium will host Australia’s opening match of the tournament against Republic of Ireland. Three further knock-out ties will be played here, as will the final on August 20. 

Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Tournament capacity: 38,841
Having hosted men’s and women’s football for more than three decades, the stadium host six matches, including five group games and a knock-out tie.

Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington

Tournament capacity: 31,089
Nicknamed ‘The Cake Tin’ by locals, the ground was the first bowl-style stadium in the country offering more space for large crowds, such as cricket fans who go to the venue for one-day international cricket matches.