From Monterrey to the outskirts of Oslo, Pamela Tajonar’s next step keeps her in the women’s game while taking her from the penalty area to the training ground. The former Mexico goalkeeper, a central figure in Rayadas de Monterrey’s recent success, has joined Norway’s Kolbotn Toppfotball as goalkeeper coach for the current season.
Kolbotn have turned to a former elite player as they reshape their technical staff, with Tajonar succeeding Oliver Stronach-Nathan, who has left to pursue an opportunity with Stabæk Fotball. Sporting director Toni Ordinas said the appointment matched the club’s intention to bring in former top-level players with deep football education and international experience.
Ordinas described Tajonar as an ideal fit: a player whose career spanned leading clubs and national-team football, alongside experience within respected development environments. Kolbotn believe that background can strengthen their sporting project and give their goalkeepers a coach who understands the demands of the position at the highest levels.
A career linking Mexico and Europe
Tajonar arrives in Norway after a playing career that travelled extensively across both sides of the Atlantic. Before returning to Mexico, she spent more than a decade in European football, representing Atlético Málaga, Levante, Sevilla, Logroño, Villarreal, Scotland’s Celtic and Barcelona’s women’s side.
Her Barcelona period brought domestic league and Spanish Super Cup honours, as well as a place in a UEFA Women’s Champions League final. She also wore Mexico colours in international competition, including the Under-19 World Cup and the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.
In 2023, Tajonar returned home to sign for Monterrey. She stayed with Rayadas through 2026 and played a decisive role in the club’s landmark double title run in 2024, when they won both the Clausura and Apertura championships. Her work in penalty shootouts during each final stood out as Monterrey secured the two trophies.
Now, after years spent guarding goals in Mexico, Spain and Scotland, Tajonar’s experience moves north to Norway. At Kolbotn, the task is no longer to make the save herself, but to pass on the habits and judgement formed across a long international career.
