Ntsabeleng: Former Kaizer Chiefs youngster joins MLS side FC Dallas

FC Dallas have announced the signing of former Kaizer Chiefs reserve team forward Katlego 'Tsiki' Ntsabeleng.

The 23-year-old has joined the Major League Soccer side from Oregon State Beavers, which is a varsity sports team of Oregon State University and campaigns in the Pac-12 Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Ntsabeleng, who is a former South Africa under-20 international, was linked with New York Red Bulls last year after he impressed while playing for Beavers, but a move to the MLS giants never materialised. 

MLS has now released the following statement confirming that the promising player has joined Dallas via a trade with New York City FC. 

"FC Dallas continued their busy 2022 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday by securing the No. 28 pick (first round) via a trade with New York City FC and picking Oregon State forward Tsiki Ntsabeleng," a statement read.

"In return, 2021 MLS Cup champions NYCFC received $50,000 in allocation money and the No. 34 SuperDraft pick (second round). At No. 34 overall, NYCFC then picked Princeton forward Kevin O'Toole.

"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. 

"Earlier in the first round, FC Dallas also picked Saint Louis and Generation adidas forward Isaiah Parker at No. 3 overall. With the No. 6 overall pick, they went with St. John’s defender Lucas Bartlett."

Ntsabeleng played for Chiefs in the Multichoice Diski Challenge and he was a key member of the Amakhosi side which won the Multichoice Diski Shield side in 2018.

The Daveyton-born player, who also helped South Africa clinch the 2017 Cosafa U20 Championship in Zambia, is a former University of Johannesburg student.

He secured a scholarship with Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina in 2018 through the assistance of South Africa-born coach Kyle Timm who is based in the USA.