South African winger Puso Dithejane, brought on as a substitute, scored Chicago Fire’s fourth goal in a 4-2 win at Colorado, assisted by striker Robert Lewandowski, three years after leaving Kaizer Chiefs.
Thirty-six seconds. That is how long it took Puso Dithejane, who came on in the 88th minute, to score Chicago Fire’s fourth goal on the pitch at Colorado Rapids, in the night of 31 October to 1 November. The 22-year-old South African winger finished off an assist from Robert Lewandowski, according to Dailysports.
The 4-2 win bears first and foremost the mark of striker Jonathan Bamba, who scored twice. But Dithejane’s goal resonates differently for a player developed at Kaizer Chiefs, the club that parted ways with him in 2023.
Lewandowski sets up, Dithejane finishes
The game turned just after the hour mark. Coming on during the match, Robert Lewandowski put Chicago Fire ahead in the 74th minute, ending a run of eight games without scoring, Dailysports reports. The striker then turned provider for the fourth goal.
That goal is Dithejane’s third of the 2026 MLS regular season. Lewandowski, for his part, has 7 goals and 5 assists in the competition, according to the same source. Under head coach Gregg Berhalter, the 22-year-old winger is continuing an integration that began in January 2026.
The ball boy episode
The story goes back to 2023. Developed at Kaizer Chiefs, Dithejane found himself sidelined by the club after he and his teammate Omega Mdaka refused to act as ball boys during a cup match. Dailysports notes that no official disciplinary hearing was held in the case.
The club confirmed the separation, and the player relaunched his career elsewhere.
TS Galaxy, then Chicago
The comeback was written at TS Galaxy. Dithejane was named player of the month there in August 2025, with 3 goals and 2 assists, according to Dailysports.
In January 2026, he joined Chicago Fire, where he is reunited in Gregg Berhalter’s squad with his compatriot Mbekezeli Mbokazi.