| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Katlego Ntsabeleng | ||
| Date of birth | (1998-02-09)9 February 1998 (age 27) | ||
| Place of birth | Daveyton,South Africa[1] | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | FC Dallas | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Stars of Africa | |||
| Kaizer Chiefs | |||
| Mamelodi Sundowns | |||
| University of Johannesburg | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | 28 | (9) |
| 2020–2021 | Oregon State Beavers | 25 | (6) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Reading United | 5 | (0) |
| 2022– | FC Dallas | 66 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | South Africa U20 | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:12, 14 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 01:05, 27 February 2022 (UTC) | |||
Katlego"Tsiki" Ntsabeleng (born 9 February 1998) is a South Africansoccer player who plays forFC Dallas inMajor League Soccer.
Born inDaveyton in South Africa, Ntsabeleng spent time with various clubs in South Africa including the Stars of Africa Academy team, which he joined in 2014.[3] Ntsabeleng also appeared for the reserve teams ofKaizer Chiefs andMamelodi Sundowns, before attending theUniversity of Johannesburg, where he also played soccer.[4][5][6]
In 2018, Ntsabeleng moved to the United States to playcollege soccer atCoastal Carolina University. In two seasons with the Chanticleers, he made 28 appearances, scoring nine goals and tallying eight assists. In his junior season, he earned All-Sun Belt First Team, Sun Belt Championship All-Tournament Team, United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region, and the Sun Belt's Newcomer of the Year. In 2019, he was again named Sun Belt First Team All-Conference.[7]
After earning his degree, Ntsabeleng enrolled in a graduate program atOregon State University where he played seasons with the Beavers, netting six goals and tallying ten assists in 25 appearances. He was named All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Far West Region First Team in his senior season.[8]
While at college, Ntsabeleng played withUSL League Two sideReading United during their 2019 season. He made five appearances for the team, finishing with a single assist to his name.[9]
On 11 January 2022, Ntsabeleng was selected 28th overall in the2022 MLS SuperDraft byFC Dallas. On 11 February 2022, he signed a one-year deal with the club.[10] Dallas head coachNico Estevez cited Ntsabeleng's dynamism and dribbling: “He's very dynamic type of player. Really good energy. He plays with good tempo... and then his ability to be balanced with the ball while dribbling makes him a special player. And that’s what we saw before the draft. And this is what we're seeing so far in preseason. I think he's progressing in the right way. And he has earned his spot with us.”[11] Estevez began converting Ntsabeleng into abox-to-box midfielder in his4-3-3 system, with Ntsabeleng playing a similar role asPaxton Pomykal andBrandon Servania.
He made his professional debut on 26 February 2022, appearing as a 77th-minute substitute during a 1–1 draw withToronto FC.[12] Ntsabeleng scored his first FC Dallas goal on 23 April 2022 vsHouston Dynamo, an 87th minute equalizer after appearing as a substitute in a come from behind 2–1 victory for FCD.[13] His first MLS start came as a midfielder in a 2–2 draw againstSporting Kansas City on April 30 atChildren's Mercy Park.[14]