Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter has explained why winger Puso Dithejane has impressed him more than Mbekezeli Mbokazi since their arrival at the club.
Dithejane, 22, netted his first goal in Major League Soccer (MLS) this week in their 3-2 defeat to Inter Miami – in their first league game since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.
- ALSO READ: Dithejane, Suárez Shine as Lewandowski Debuts in 5-Goal Thriller
- Agent – How Mbokazi Has Handled All Fame & Attention
It could prove to be the major stepping-stone for the South African, who was the leading goal contributer in the South African top-flight before his mid-season move to the United States alongside ‘TLB’.
While Mbokazi was thrusted straight into the limelight, Dithejane has needed to be patient and bide his time for first time minutes, whilst he enjoyed some game time in the reserve team, where sources at the club said he looked ‘far too good’ for that level.
He’s now taken his chances, impressing off the bench and looks set to become a more regular fixture going into the second half of the season.
“Puso has been actually more impressive than Mbokazi, the reason is why? Mbokazi, we knew what he’d be like and he’s exactly that, a top, top defender,” Berhalter tells iDiski Times.
“With Puso it was, it was really about how much can he improve and develop in a short period of time, how can he gain the confidence to play at this level – Mbokazi was already established and playing for the national team.
“Puso wasn’t but he’s impressed so much in such a short period of time and developed into an important player for the team.”
The former TS Galaxy star says he worked tirelessly during the World Cup break in order to break his duck – and knew when was sent on against the league leaders, it was his time to show his worth in what was an equaliser on the night before their eventual defeat.
“Before entering the field, I told myself I need to score, I told myself it’s the time to show I improved during the break, I was scoring during the break, I just wanted to score and help the team win the game,” he said.
Dithejane will now be aiming to break into the starting line-up when they take on New York FC on Saturday at the Yankee Stadium.
Did you know that the iDiski Times Digital Newspaper is completely free! Download it now by clicking the button below or fill in the form to have it sent to you every week.