Mpumi Nyandeni

Nompumelelo "Mpumi" Nyandeni (born 19 August 1987) is a South African soccer player who plays as a midfielder for SAFA Women's League side JVW.

Mpumi has represented the South Africa women's national football team 149 times, including at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

In 2010, she took part in a FIFA campaign for improving health through recreational football together with players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Didier Drogba.

Club career
Mpumi Nyandeni came through the Mpumalanga-based Detroit Ladies youth system. While a youth player, she competed with older players for positions in the senior side. She subsequently transferred to WFC Rossiyanka in the Russian Women's Football Championship. In 2011, she was selected by FIFA as one of a side of 11 international players to promote health issues among young people; others in the list included Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While at Rossiyanka, she met Refiloe Jane for the first time, who had been inspired by Nyandeni and would later also become a South African international.

JVW
In 2021, she was joint top goal scorer with Andisiwe Mgcoyi with 27 goals helping JVW to a top five finish in the league.

She scored 30 goals in the 2022 season and won the top goal scorer award for the second consecutive season.

She rounded out the season by winning the 2022 South African Football Journalists' Association (Safja) Women's footballer of the year award.

TS Galaxy Queens
In 2023, she joined TS Galaxy Queens. She scored 7 goals for the club during the 2023 season.

JVW
In March 2024, she rejoined JVW.

International career
Nyandeni was called up to the South Africa women's national football team during the qualification matches for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. She was disappointed to be dropped from the squad, which she attributed to her fluctuating form, but was recalled and later played for South Africa in three matches at the Games itself. She has since become one of the most experienced players for the South African team, being one of four players alongside Janine van Wyk, Amanda Dlamini and Noko Matlou who have more than 100 caps each. She was selected once again for the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

International goals
Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first

Honours
Individual


 * 2021 SAFA Women's League: Top Goal Scorer (27 goals)
 * 2022 SAFA Women's League: Top Goal Scorer (30 goals)
 * 2022 South African Football Journalists' Association (Safja): Women's footballer of the year