CHICAGO (Sept. 17, 2026) – Chicago Fire FC and the South African Football Association today announced that winger Puso Dithejane was named to the South Africa Men’s National Team for upcoming AFCON qualifiers in September.
It’s the first roster for newly appointed head coach Pitso Mosimane, who will guide Bafana Bafana through Group D of the qualifying tournament against Guinea, Kenya and Eritrea.
South Africa will kick off the team’s run through Group D playing host to Guinea at 11:00 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Orlando Amstel Arena in Johannesburg. Dithejane and Bafana Bafana will next travel to face Eritrea at 11:00 a.m. CT on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
Dithejane, 22, was named to a South Africa Men’s National Team senior roster for the first time. He joined the Chicago Fire in January 2026 after spending the previous two seasons with TS Galaxy F.C. The crafty winger has played 23 matches and registered four goals and two assists across all competition for the Fire, including the MLS regular season, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Leagues Cup.
Chicago embarks on a two-game road stretch in the South, first traveling to face Nashville SC on Saturday, Sept. 19. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CT at GEODIS Park. The match will be broadcast globally on Apple TV, and transmitted locally on wlsam.com in English and TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2 and Uforia by TREBEL app in Spanish. The Fire will then head to North Carolina to face Charlotte FC at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Bank of America Stadium.
