Mercurial Banyana Banyana striker Thembi Kgatlana is making the most of her time under lockdown, despite being thousands of kilometres from home.

Kgatlana is hunkered down in Lisbon, Portugal, where she spoke to SowetanLive from, waiting out the Covid-19 scourge like the rest of the world, and hoping she soon gets back on the pitch for SL Benfica, the team she signed for in January.

It does not hurt that unlike some of the leagues and teams in the world, Benfica team has continued to honour players' contracts by paying them their full wages, despite the situation hitting teams all over the world in the pocket. 

The 23-year-old says her Campeonato Nacional Feminino side has kept things tight on the fitness front, with trainers ensuring the programme is followed to the letter, even when the Iberian country has practically been shut down for two months.

"Make no mistake, we are in daily communication with the team's trainers! The league itself is still suspended until further notice.  My life right now is pretty basic though. I stay home all day and only go out when it is absolutely necessary."

Being away from home in these uncertain times weighs on her mind, but the CAF Women's Footballer of the Year, who left home at a very early age to pursue her dream, says she has counteracted the sense of isolation by staying in constant touch with her parents and the rest of her family through the phone.

 'As soon as it is safe to travel, I will be on my way home. All the good things happen in Lisbon, it is a very historic city. I definitely enjoy being here, but home is home," she said.

In the meantime, Kgatlana has this message to fans who miss the sight of her terrorising opposition defences: "Sunshine always comes after a storm. The time will come when we will be able to do all the things we used to do before the pandemic. We just have to be resilient and hold on".