Kaizer Chiefs star Bradley Cross could be rubbing shoulders with Marco Reus! Bafana Bafana international 'traveled to America' for 'LA Galaxy' stint

Recently, the Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire sealed the services of two Bafana Bafana youngsters from the Premier Soccer League.

The Men in Red first completed the deal for the 20-year-old defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who made a massive impact after being introduced to the Mzansi top-tier by the then Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro in March 2025. 

They then came back for the 21-year-old Kaizer Chiefs product Puso Dithejane from TS Galaxy, a team he has represented for the last three seasons.

The duo joined the Minnesota United attacker Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Olwethu Makhanya of Philadelphia Union.

However, Kaizer Chiefs defender Bradley Cross could have been in the Major League Soccer as well, turning out for LA Galaxy, home to stars like Marco Reus, Maya Yoshida, John Paintsil, among others.

In his interview with Diski Dads, Cross' father Paul, has revealed his son flew to the United States, where he tried with the Major League Soccer giants  LA Galaxy, but a knee injury cost him.

"Bradley did travel to America to do trials. LA Galaxy, I think," he recalled. 

 He got there on the first day of training, went into a 50-50 tackle, and pulled his knee out. That’s how the injury came about.

“They assessed it with specialists and said it would be an eight-to-ten-week recovery. That put an end to the assessment. They just sent him back, put him on a plane, and said, ‘We’re not going to entertain it. Let’s see what happens once he’s recovered,'" Paul concluded. 

Prior to his trials with LA Galaxy, Chiefs were interested in signing the left-back, but things didn't go as planned owing to the injury.

Cross was forced to go to Maritzburg United before Golden Arrows came for his services, and eventually, Amakhosi signed him at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. 

Last season, he played 23 games for the club across all competitions as the Glamour Boys won the Nedbank Cup to end their decade-long drought.

Before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break, Cross had already played 14 games for the Soweto giants, underlining his importance for the club.

Meanwhile, Chicago Fire FC coach Gregg Berhalter, who was at the helm in the United States team that featured in the 2022 World Cup played in Qatar, is convinced Mbokazi has proved he can deal with top players. He has further explained why the team went for Dithejane as well.

"[Mbokazi] is a player that has high potential and he's already shown that he can deal with some top players and play at the highest stage," he said as quoted by Chicago Fire's media team. 

"Now, for us, it's about getting him prepared, used to the league, adapted to the league, and then getting him prepared for the World Cup.

"Well, I think there are two things, the first thing is that we want to bring talented players who can help the squad into this club," Berhalter added.

"The second thing is that we think it's beneficial for [both Mbokazi and Dithejane] to have each other and to work in pairs.

"It's going to be a huge transition for both of the players, and it's comforting to know that they will have someone from their home country to help them adapt," the tactician concluded.