BAFANA BAFANA: Pitso Mosimane rewards in-form US-based player Puso Dithejane

Puso Dithejane left Kaizer Chiefs after a dispute about being asked to perform ball-boy duties three years ago. He’s now playing the best soccer of his career for US side Chicago Fire, earning him a first Bafana Bafana call-up under the new coach.

Since the conclusion of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, Chicago Fire winger Puso Dithejane has been in exhilarating form. This super run led to the 22-year-old being named Chicago’s player of the month for July/August.

Now he is in line to make his official Bafana Bafana debut after being named in Pitso Mosimane’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures. The newly installed boss, who succeeded Belgian Hugo Broos, begins his tenure with important battles against Guinea (26 September) and Eritrea four days later.

Mosimane’s men will also squeeze in a friendly encounter against Egypt in Cairo on 4 October. Hence he has called a crop of 30 players, as opposed to the traditional 26-men squad. Although Mosimane has kept the core of the team Broos built during his five years in charge, there are also some new faces. One of those is US-based winger Dithejane.

Former Kaizer Chiefs youth academy player Dithejane joined his compatriot Mbekezeli Mbokazi in Chicago at the beginning of the year. Mbokazi, who is not on the latest Bafana Bafana squad list due to injury, hit the ground running in the new environment.

Dithejane’s breakthrough took a bit more time but he has slowly come into his own , especially after the 2026 World Cup-induced hiatus of Major League Soccer (MLS). The crafty winger has played 23 matches this season, registering four goals and two assists across all competitions for the Fire.

Dithejane had to bide his time for proper minutes in the first team and was initially used prominently in domestic cup matches. At times he was sent to the reserve team in the MLS Next Pro league to maintain match fitness. Although he has yet to nail down a starting berth, he is being trusted increasingly by coach Gregg Berhalter and his technical team.

This trust has spilled over into the national team, with Bafana Bafana coach Mosimane rewarding Dithejane’s run of form with a call-up. The 22-year-old is a useful addition to the team. He brings major confidence, as well as the ability to play on both wings; in addition to being able to operate as an attacking midfielder.

“It helps my confidence when I help the team win. And for me, scoring goals is important. I’ve been here for seven months. Now I’d say scoring goals is [a boost] for me,” said Dithejane on his great run of form in Chicago.

“I’ve gained a lot of things [in my time in Chicago]. I can’t point out which exact areas I’ve improved in, but I’ve learnt a lot,” Dithejane added. “It’s also great to see teammates like [Robert] Lewandowski and [Philip] Zinckernagel celebrating me. They’re the top guys on the team.”

Dithajane was a promising young player in the Chiefs youth structures, after joining Amakhosi from the School of Excellence. However his relationship with the Soweto side eroded after he refused to be a ball-boy in a match for the club in the Carling Knockout Cup.