Matthew Booth (soccer)
Matthew Booth is a South African former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He spent most of his career in South Africa, with stints abroad in Russia and a brief period in England.
Born on 14 March 1977 in Fish Hoek, South Africa, Booth started playing at a young age for Fish Hoek AFC. He went on to have a long club career, beginning with Cape Town Spurs, then Mamelodi Sundowns, a loan to Wimbledon (England), Rostov and Krylia Sovetov in Russia, Ajax Cape Town, and Bidvest Wits. In total, he made 448 club appearances and scored 24 goals.
On the international stage, Booth earned 37 caps and scored 1 goal for South Africa from 1999 to 2010. He also played for the under-20 and under-23 teams, captaining the latter at the 2000 Olympics. He debuted for the national team in 1999 against Botswana. Booth was part of South Africa’s squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in the country, though he did not play in the group games. He missed the 2002 World Cup due to a knee injury.
Booth is remembered by fans for his tall presence and reliability at the back. He was nicknamed the “White Knight” by British media, as he was the only white player in the South Africa team during that period. He is a popular figure among South African supporters, who would chant “Booth” when he touched the ball.
Off the pitch, Booth is married to Sonia Bonneventia, and they have two children. In 2014, he performed a notable act of bravery by stepping in to help a woman being attacked on Cape Town’s Long Street strip. After retiring from playing on 19 June 2014, Booth has been involved in junior coaching clinics, done television work as a football analyst, and written for The Sowetan. He has pursued higher education, enrolling in a BA program at the University of South Africa.
In late 2022, his wife Sonia Booth publicly accused him of infidelity on Instagram.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:07 (CET).