HE waited eight long years for his first international goal.
And now that he’s got it, fans are absolutely buzzing for him – particularly given his tough time at Rangers.
Rabbi Matondo ended his goal drought against Kazakhstan[/caption]
Matondo celebrates the goal – his first in 13 caps[/caption]
Rabbi Matondo was sent on loan to Hannover 96 during the January transfer window after becoming something of a forgotten man at Ibrox.
He was signed under Giovanni van Bronckhorst in 2022 for around £2.5m from Schalke but a combination of injuries and inconsistent performances ensured he never truly established himself as a regular for the Light Blues.
The former Manchester City kid made a name for himself on his debut for the German side with a debut goal but hasn’t scored since.
He was back on the scoresheet tonight though and the goal had extra significance.
Because it was his first goal for Wales since his first cap EIGHT YEARS ago.
Matondo, 24, returned to the Dragons squad alongside a fellow Rangers star in Tom Lawrence for the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia this week, as Craig Bellamy prepared to take charge of his first games as national team boss.
Lawrence remained on the bench for their 3-1 win over Kazakhstan but Matondo came on as a late sub – and made his presence felt.
He timed a run into the box to perfection and tucked home Sorba Thomas’ cross in the 90th minute for Wales‘ third on the night.
Former team mate Ashley Williams was delighted for him and told BBC Wales how good an influence the winger can be on a dressing room.
Williams said: “He’s had such a tough time over the years, you know.
“I played with him and everybody loves him, he’s such a great lad to have around the camp.
“He’s just so fun. He doesn’t take life too seriously and he brings a lot of energy to the camp, he’s always joking.
“Sometimes a little bit too much that might get him in trouble but he’s just such a good person to have around.
“When he popped up and scored that goal you could just see the team were so happy to have him in there.”
Those feelings appeared to be shared by a lot of fans on Twitter (X).
One Wales supporter posted: “Yesss! Get in. Delighted for @rabbi_matondo. Great ball, great strike.”
Another said: “Well done @rabbi_matondo getting his first goal for Wales.”
While this fan exclaimed: “SIUUUU!!! Rabbi Matondo the GOAT.”
Another commented: “Cracking first goal for Matondo.”
And a fifth said: “Well done Wales brilliant goal Rabbi Matondo.”
Sports journalist Paul Abbandonato recalled seeing a young Matondo scoring against his local team – and revealed a former nickname.
He wrote: “The talented young under 7 to 11s who used to score bagloads for St Albans v our Lisvane Panthers team has now bagged a World Cup goal for Wales. Played for us too once when we were short of numbers.
“What a beautiful success story – top stuff Rabbi Matondo, aka Flashy Boots!”
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