Bafana Bafana attacker Puso Dithejane was the hero for Chicago Fire on Sunday morning as he scored the winning goal in a thrilling 4-2 comeback victory over Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.

The 22-year-old South African came off the bench and needed just 36 seconds to make his mark. He calmly finished a pass from Robert Lewandowski in the 88th minute to seal the points for the visitors at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

It was not an easy afternoon for Chicago, who fell behind early. Morgan Whittaker put the Rapids ahead in the 22nd minute. The Fire refused to panic and equalised just before half-time when Jonathan Bamba tapped home after good work down the right.

Bamba struck again shortly after the break to give Chicago the lead. Paxten Aaronson quickly restored parity for the home side, making it 2-2 in the 58th minute. With the game level and time running out, Gregg Berhalter turned to his substitutes.

Lewandowski restored the lead in the 74th minute with a composed finish. Then came Dithejane’s moment. Fed by the Polish striker inside the box, the young winger made no mistake and smashed home the fourth goal to put the result beyond doubt.

This was Dithejane’s third goal of the MLS season and took his tally to five goals and two assists in 31 matches across all competitions since joining Chicago from TS Galaxy in January. The Kaizer Chiefs academy product has settled well in the United States and continues to show why he was handed a chance in the top flight of American soccer.

The result keeps Chicago Fire in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. They have already secured a playoff spot and will finish their regular season at home against Columbus Crew next weekend.

For Dithejane, the late winner adds another highlight to a promising first year abroad. His ability to make an impact from the bench will please both his club and the Bafana Bafana technical staff as he continues to develop at the highest level.

Source: https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2116818624237465625