Doctor Khumalo and 4 Other South Africans Who Played in Major League Soccer

• Jomo Sono played for four sides in North America before he returned home to form Jomo Cosmos
• Kaizer Motaung played for the Atlanta Chiefs and used the name as inspiration to form Kaizer Chiefs
• Cape Town Spurs' Shaun Bartlett played for two Major League Soccer sides during his stint in America

With Lionel Messi moving to Inter Miami, Major League Soccer has received renewed interest.

The American league has attracted many big-name players over the years, and even South Africans have been drawn to the league.

With Mamelodi Sundowns’ Cassius Mailula likely to be the next to head off to American shores, Sports Brief looks at five players from the country who moved abroad.

Doctor Khumalo – Columbus Crew

A Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana legend, Khumalo also enjoyed a spell in America.

In 1996 and 1997, he played for MLS side Columbus Crew, joining them from the Argentinian team Ferro Carril Oeste. As noted by the MLS website, 16v played 43 games in the USA, scoring five goals and notching up six assists.

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NBA

He returned to Chiefs after his spell overseas before eventually retiring.

Jomo Sono (New York Cosmos)

A legend at Orlando Pirates, Sono played for more than one MLS side. After leaving the Buccaneers, he joined New York Cosmos in 1997.

A year later, he moved to another MLS side, Colorado Caribous, before they moved to become the Atlanta Chiefs. Sono’s final stint in the MLS came for the Toronto Blizzard, where he played from 1980 until 1982.

As noted by News24, he played alongside Pele while at NY Cosmos. When Sono returned to South Africa, he bought a club and renamed it Jomo Cosmos in honour of his former MLS side.

Kaizer Motaung (Atlanta Chiefs)

In 1968, Chincha Guluva moved to what was then known as the North American Soccer League (NASL).

He was named Rookie of the Year after his first season with the Atlanta Chiefs, scoring sixteen goals in fifteen matches for the side.

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Baseball

As noted by Goal, Atlanta Chiefs offered him $1 million to remain at the side, but he was eager to return home to form a club to rival Orlando Pirates. Kaizer Chiefs were then born, with Motaung paying tribute to his former side by using the Chiefs name.

Shaun Bartlett (Colorado Rapids)

The current Cape Town Spurs manager started with the side before securing a move to the MLS in 1996.

He joined the Colorado Rapids in the inaugural season of the American league. He scored eight goals in 18 games for the team before moving to another American team.

As the New York Times noted, Bartlett was traded to the MetroStars in 1997. The team are now known as the New York Red Bulls. Bartlett returned to South Africa after his time at the MetroStars, but failed to fire in the MLS.

Kamohelo Mokotjo (Cincinatti)

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Football

A product of the SuperSport United Academy, Mokotjo made just one senior appearance for the club, having been promoted to the first team at 16.

After a successful trial in Holland, he moved to the Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord in 2009. After 38 appearances for the team, he moved to PEC Zwolle and then FC Twente. After eight years in the Netherlands, he moved to England, where he played for Brentford.

After 102 appearances for The Bees, he signed for MLS side FC Cincinnati.

As noted by Transfermarkt, he made just 22 appearances for the American side before he left the side via mutual agreement. After a stint as a free agent, he finally joined his current club, Sekhukhune United, in the DStv Premiership.