Ex-Chiefs rising star does Dallas

FORMER Kaizer Chiefs starlet Katlego Ntsabeleng has long been on the radar of US Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs and has been snapped up by FC Dallas in Texas.

FC Dallas issued a statement yesterday to announce the signing of Ntsabeleng, who apart from playing for the Chiefs Multichoice Diski Challenge team, also played for Mamelodi Sundowns, also in the reserve league.

"FC Dallas continued their busy 2022

MLS SuperDraft by securing the No 28 pick (first round) via a trade with New York City FC and picking Oregon State forward Tsiki Ntsabeleng.

"Ntsabeleng is from South Africa and earned All-Pac-12 First Team honours after the 2021 campaign. Before joining Oregon State, he competed for Coastal Carolina."

Ntsabeleng, a former South Africa Under20 international, and former University of Johannesburg student was linked with New York Red Bulls last year after he impressed while playing for the Oregon State Beavers.

He hails from Daveyton, which also produced stars like Jabu Mahlangu, Junior Khanye and Thabiso ‘Skapie’ Malatsi. He was a member of the South African team that clinched the 2017 Cosafa Under-17 Championship in Zambia.

Ntsabeleng's big break came in 2018 when he was awarded a two-year scholarship with Coastal Carolina University, after being spotted by US-based South Africa-born coach Kyle Timm during a Varsity Cup game.