Young footballers are starting to see Major League Soccer as a viable stepping stone to Europe, writes NICK SAID.
The Major Soccer League in the United States, once seen as an old-age home for foreign players past their prime and looking for a final pay-day, has come a long way. Two South Africans are among the young players driving the league forward.
Local winger Bongokuhle Hlongwane will hope to shine at Minnesota United, as will attacking midfielder Tsiki Ntsabeleng at FC Dallas.
Hlongwane joined from Maritzburg United in the 2021-22 season, and the 21-year-old has already caught the eye and won praise from his new head coach Adrian Heath.
‘Bongi came in and showed us he’s very quick and has his best years ahead of him,’ Heath said. ‘His understanding of the game is good. He’s good in possession. He looks to link up with his teammates. We love his raw talents, but his football IQ is exceptional. Ask any defender what scares them and who the hardest players to mark are and inevitably it’s someone with intelligent movement and pace, and we feel he possesses these qualities.
‘He’s got huge upside; he’s now broken into the South African national team and we’ve spoken to his national team coach [Hugo Broos] and he says it’s only the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come.’
Ntsabeleng, a former junior with Kaizer Chiefs and a product of the Stars of Africa Academy in Johannesburg, has been in the US for some time having moved over to study.
His former coach at Stars of Africa, Farouk Khan, believes he too can go on to great things. ‘He was a scrawny player when he came to us,’ Khan told SoccerClub. ‘That being the case, we used him as a full-back. But he was very skilful on the ball and a player with the potential to play professional football, even if he was not well-suited physiologically.
‘But we spent a lot of time with him in the gym, building him up and getting him to the right level physically. In terms of ability, I have never had any doubt that he could make it.’
And Khan says the player should thrive in the MLS, which he says is a league that does not get enough credit for the quality of player it produces. ‘Sometimes we take it for granted that the American league is not strong but in actual fact it is very strong,’ he said.
‘There are lots of players who have come through the development level to go on to big careers in the game. I think he will go on to become a top player. He has everything he needs and will be in a good, professional environment.’
Ntsabeleng scored six goals and managed 12 assists in 31 matches for Oregon State University in the past season and was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team and All-Far West Region First Team. Those are two representative sides that feature the best talent in the region.
It was a similar case at Coastal Carolina University, where he was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree and was named 2018 Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
South Africans in the MSL
Stephen Armstrong
Armstrong was born in England but raised in Cape Town. The striker had spells with DC United, Kansas City Wizards and Columbus Crew between 2001 and 2005.
Derek Backman
Midfielder Backman played for Arcadia Shepherds in South Africa before moving to the US in the early 1980s to attend college. He had two seasons with Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Shaun Bartlett
One of Bafana Bafana’s greatest players, Bartlett played for two MLS clubs in the early years of the competition, turning out for Colorado Rapids and then the New York-based MetroStars, who are the New York Red Bulls today.
Danleigh Borman
Borman was a left-back/left-winger who came through the youth system at Santos but played at New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC between 2008-2011.
Richard Farrer
Born in Johannesburg, Farrer attended college in the USA and played amateur football there before seven seasons at Dallas Burn.
Doctor Khumalo
Khumalo had a two-year stay in the MLS just as the competition formed when he joined Columbus Crew. He scored five goals in 43 appearances before returning to Kaizer Chiefs.
Thabiso Khumalo
A pupil at the Safa School of Excellence, Thabiso was a right-sided midfielder who moved to the US when he was 16 and played for several amateur teams before eventually reaching the MLS with DC United in the 2009-10 season.
Ivan McKinley
McKinley had four MLS clubs in seven years, namely Tampa Bay Mutiny, New England Revolution, Miami Fusion and DC United between 1996 and 2002.
Lindo Mfeka
Durban-born Mfeka moved to the US to attend college and played one MLS game for San Jose Earthquakes in 2017.
Kamohelo Mokotjo
The former SuperSport United midfielder signed for FC Cincinnati in 2020 but battled for game-time and left after 18 months in the US.
Toni Nhleko
The well-travelled Nhelko was a product of Jomo Cosmos and would go on to play in Norway and Sweden, with MLS side FC Dallas sandwiched in between.
Ethen Sampson
The current Black Leopards defender was a product of the ASD Academy and was signed by Canadian MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps in 2013.
Davide Somma
Somma saw his promising career cut short by a knee injury in 2013 while at English side Leeds United, where he was a regular goalscorer. Born in Johannesburg, his family moved to the US when he was 12 and, after playing college soccer, he was signed by San Jose Earthquakes in 2008 before heading to Leeds on free transfer.