SA striker fires into Golden Boot contention in USA

South African striker Darren Smith found the back of the net as Detroit City FC edged Jamie Webber's FC Tulsa in the USL Championship over the weekend.

The 30-year-old centre-forward scored the decisive goal in the 52nd minute, becoming the outright top goal scorer with 12 goals in 18 league outings.

His solitary strike saw Detroit City FC move up to third place with 31 points accumulated in the second-tier of the United States of America.

Notably, the well-travelled Capetonian has a contract that runs until November 2026, having signed for the club in January 2025 on a free transfer.

Smith will be eager to add to his scoring tally when Detroit City welcome Loudoun United FC in their next league outing on Sunday, 16 August.

Meanwhile, his compatriot Jamie Webber featured for 90 minutes in the narrow defeat, which saw FC Tulsa remain fourth on the Western Conference.

The 28-year-old midfield general has chipped in with three goals and six assists in 23 matches across all competitions for FC Tulsa this season.

Similarly to Smith, Webber also has a deal that's set to expire at the end of November as he joined the team last year in April from Sekhukhune United.

Whether the pair will extend their stay in USA remains to be seen upon the conclusion of their respective deals in the USL Championship.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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Detroit City FC