Puso Dithejane has received his first call-up to the senior South African national team. The forward, aged 22, is included in the group for this month's African Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures.

South Africa, positioned second in their World Cup qualifying group, will host Guinea in Johannesburg on September 26. Their schedule then includes a trip to Cairo to meet Eritrea on September 30, and a friendly against Egypt on October 4. The team's current standing underscores the significance of these games.

Dithejane's call-up follows a swift ascent. He moved to Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire before this season from South African club TS Galaxy. Originally joining through a league program for younger players, he has now secured a place on the main team roster. This season, he has played in 23 matches across various tournaments, netting four times and setting up one goal. His scoring has occurred entirely after the World Cup interval, with two goals coming in a notable Leagues Cup victory against Mexican titleholders Cruz Azul recently.

His selection coincides with the absence of regular defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who is injured. Mbokazi featured in every minute of the national team's AFCON tournament last winter and their progress to the World Cup knockout stage, and he is anticipated to resume playing for his club later this year. Dithejane is the sole Chicago Fire player in the first squad named by manager Pitso Mosimane since his return to lead the national side.

The national team duty means Dithejane will be unavailable for Chicago Fire's upcoming match against Charlotte FC. His participation in their following game against Vancouver Whitecaps is uncertain, as it follows closely after the fixture in Cairo. This represents a major milestone for the player, who was named to an initial larger group for the recent FIFA World Cup but was not selected for the final team. He has earned six caps at youth international level.

South Africa's recent performances include one victory, two draws, and two losses from their last five matches. Their latest outing ended in a defeat to Canada. Dithejane links up with the squad as they gear up for the qualifying match against Guinea at FNB Stadium.

Background and full detail: meninred97.com