Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire have officially announced the
signing of TS Galaxy star Puso Dithejane, securing the highly-rated South
African winger on a long-term deal.
Dithejane, 21, joins the Fire on a four-and-a-half-year contract through
2028 as part of the club’s U22 Initiative, a move that highlights his status
as one of South Africa’s top young prospects.
Chicago Fire’s Head Coach and Sporting Director, Gregg Berhalter, confirmed
the acquisition in an exclusive interview with Men In Red 97, revealing that
Dithejane has long been a target for the club.
“We’ve been scouting him for a while, and he’s one of the most highly
regarded talents in South Africa right now,” said Berhalter. “We saw an
opportunity, and we went for it.”
Berhalter praised Dithejane’s playing style and potential, noting, “He’s a
very dynamic winger; he can change the game. He’s a young player who needs
development, but [has] a really great attitude on the pitch, really good
speed and one-on-one ability. He has a lot of attributes that make him an
exciting winger, and that’s what we wanted to add.”
While Dithejane is expected to provide depth and competition in the squad,
he is likely to start as a backup option across all competitions. Berhalter
emphasized the importance of strengthening the attacking department ahead of
a busy schedule.
“We think we have a really good attack, and we wanted to bolster that,” he
explained. “We know our schedule is packed next year, we need alternatives,
and we think now with Jo Bamba, Phil [Zinckernagel], Maren [Haile-Selassie],
Chris Mueller, and Puso now, we have a really good winger group.”
The signing will require Chicago Fire to adjust their roster ahead of the
2026 season to comply with the league’s 30-player limit, meaning at least
one departure is expected in the near future.
Dithejane’s move marks another high-profile transfer of a South African
talent to MLS, following a path recently carved out by players such as
Njabulo Blom.
