Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter has expressed his enthusiasm for
the club’s acquisition of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi from Orlando Pirates,
praising the youngster as a player with “high potential” and outlining plans
to develop him for both Major League Soccer and the international stage.
Mbokazi, signed under the MLS U22 Initiative, is regarded as one of South
Africa’s most promising talents. Berhalter believes the transfer will
fast-track his growth.
“He’s a player that has high potential and he’s already shown that he can
deal with some top players and play at the highest level. For us, it’s about
getting him prepared, used to the league, adapted to the league, and then
getting him prepared for the World Cup,” Berhalter told the media.
The Fire also confirmed the signing of another South African talent, forward
Puso Dithejane. Berhalter explained that bringing in both players was a
strategic move to ease their transition to a new country and league.
“We want to bring talented players who can help the squad into this club. We
also think it’s beneficial for them to have each other and to work in pairs.
It’s going to be a huge transition for both players, and it’s comforting to
know that they’ll have someone from their home country to help them adapt,”
he said.
The double signing underscores a focused investment in South African talent
by Chicago Fire, who have recently emphasized building a pipeline of young
international players into MLS.
