Former South Africa U20 star Geni Kanyane has joined MLS club Chicago Fire having been among 90 players from US colleges drafted by various clubs last week.
The 23-year-old spent the last four years on a soccer scholarship at the University of Dayton where he made 72 appearances, scoring four goals while providing seven assists, and featured in all 20 matches this year.
Kanyane helped Dayton to a historic campaign in 2024 as they earned the No5 seed in the NCCA Tournament, advancing to the third round for the first time in history.
Kanyane has enjoyed a meteoric rise
A member of the South Africa U20 team that won the 2018 COSAFA tournament, Kanyane played for Wits at junior level before moving to the United States.
He was the 63rd pick in the third round of the MLS draft, joining University of Dayton colleague Joseph Melto Quiah in getting selected by an MLS club, after the Liberian joined Cassius Mailula’s Toronto FC.
“I am extremely excited for both of these young men,” said Dayton head coach Dennis Currier as quoted by SuperSport.
Will the defender succeed in the MLS?
“They have unique journeys coming from Africa and have capped it off with an MLS Superdraft selection. This is also a testament to our program as we have had student-athletes selected in each of the last five drafts. Melto and Geni were part of the most successful team in Dayton's history and their teammates played a critical role in this accomplishment.”
Kanyane becomes the fifth South African on the books of an MLS club, joining Bongokuhle Hlongwane, who is at Minnesota United, Dallas’ Tsiki Ntsabaleng, St Louis City’s Njabulo Blom, currently on loan at Kaizer Chiefs, and Toronto’s Mailula, on loan at Rulani Mokwena’s Wydad AC.
