Chicago Fire coach Gregg Berhalter has praised the club’s new signing, young South African attacker Puso Dithejane, who joined the Major League Soccer side from TS Galaxy, where he impressed with his skills and talent.
The 21-year-old Dithejane played 63 games for Galaxy, scoring seven times and assisting 13 goals in all competitions, and won two Player of the Month awards this season.
Dithejane’s journey to Fire is a remarkable one, having been released by Kaizer Chiefs for refusing to be a ball retriever before joining Galaxy in November 2023.
Despite being linked with a return to Amakhosi and interest from Mamelodi Sundowns, Dithejane chose to join the MLS side, where he will occupy the U22 initiative slot and international roster position.
Dithejane’s contract runs until the 2029/30 season, with the club having an option to extend it by one more season.
Berhalter expressed his excitement about Dithejane’s signing, highlighting the benefits of having talented players from the same country.
“Well, I think there are two things, and the first one is that we want to bring talented players who can help this squad,” Berhalter said.
“The second thing is, we think it’s beneficial for them (Dithejane and Mbekezeli Mbokazi) to have each other and to work in pairs.
“It’s going to be a huge transition for both of the players, and it’s comforting to know that they’ll have someone from their home country to adapt.”
Dithejane will join his countryman, Mbokazi, who was signed by Chicago Fire from Orlando Pirates in December 2025.
