USL League One News

CHARLOTTE, NC (August 8, 2025) — Charlotte Independence announced today the signing of goalkeeper Amal Knight to a USL League One contract, pending league and federation approval. Knight, 31, most recently played for Chitwan in the Nepal Super League early in 2025.

Knight brings veteran experience to the Jacks’ goalkeeper unit, having made 21 appearances for Lexington SC last season. He finished the year third in USL League One in total saves (73) and recorded four clean sheets, showcasing his reliability and shot-stopping ability.

“We are excited to sign Amal Knight for the remainder of the season,” shared Charlotte Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries. “He brings experience internationally and in the USL system; most importantly, he is a quality goalkeeper and a positive locker room individual. He showcased his shot-stopping ability and goalkeeping prowess quite enough playing against us for Lexington. It definitely will be good to have him on our side.”

The Jamaican international has played across multiple USL clubs since beginning his professional career, including stints with FC Tucson and San Diego Loyal, and brings over 60 career appearances in the USL system. Knight won the Jamaican Premier League title in 2022 with Harbor View FC.

Knight has earned 13 caps for the Jamaican national team, most recently featuring in a 2022 international friendly against Morocco, where he played the full 90 minutes.

The 2025 season continues on Saturday, August 9 for the Jacks as they host Greenville Triumph SC. Head over to CharlotteIndependence.com/Single-Game to secure your seats to see the Jacks!  

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About Charlotte Independence: The Charlotte Independence is a Division III professional men’s soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club, founded in 2014, currently competes in USL League One and plays home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium. As part of the Queen City Soccer Club, our mission is to make Charlotte a better place to live through sports. For information on club news, season tickets and more, visit CharlotteIndependence.com.

CHARLOTTE, NC (August 8, 2025) – Charlotte Independence announced today that the club has signed Paolo Alcocer for the remainder of the 2025 USL League One season, pending league and federation approval.

Alcocer gained professional experience in the Bolivian top flight, where he last played for Universitario de Vinto in Bolivia’s top flight league. Alcocer played for four clubs in the División de Fútbol Profesional, appearing for Palmaflor, Bolivar, and Aurora prior to Universitario de Vinto. A product of the Charlotte Soccer Academy, the 24-year-old returns to the Queen City to play for the Independence.

“We are delighted to welcome Paolo back to Charlotte and to have him join our roster,” shared Charlotte Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries. “Paolo is a strong technical player with the ability to fill several positions.  With his experience in first division Bolivia, he brings savvy and a strong technical element to the game.  His composure on the ball and ability to play out of pressure fit well with our style of play – I look forward to seeing his contributions with us.”

Alcocer’s addition bolsters the team’s depth as they look to continue their push toward the USL League One playoffs.

Born in Ansbach, Germany, Alcocer was raised in the United States and began his youth career with South Georgia Tormenta’s academy. He later joined Charlotte Soccer Academy and spent time alternating between playing in North Carolina and with Weston FC in Florida from 2017 to 2019.

Alcocer holds dual citizenship in Bolivia and the United States. He represented Bolivia at the youth international level, earning appearances with the country’s U15, U17, and U20 national teams.

The 2025 season continues on Saturday, August 9 for the Jacks as they host Greenville Triumph SC. Head over to CharlotteIndependence.com/Single-Game to secure your seats to see the Jacks!  

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About Charlotte Independence: The Charlotte Independence is a Division III professional men’s soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club, founded in 2014, currently competes in USL League One and plays home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium. As part of the Queen City Soccer Club, our mission is to make Charlotte a better place to live through sports. For information on club news, season tickets and more, visit CharlotteIndependence.com.

Team to Wear Special Edition Kits, Partnering with Veterans Bridge Home to Honor Military Families

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Independence will host Military Appreciation Night on Friday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m. as they take on Greenville Triumph SC at American Legion Memorial Stadium, presented by Chick-fil-A. The evening will serve as a powerful tribute to the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces.

In partnership with Veterans Bridge Home, the Independence aims to recognize and support military families across the Charlotte region. The match will feature special military-themed programming, pregame recognitions, and a one-of-a-kind look on the pitch, as players will debut custom Military Appreciation kits designed in honor of our nation’s servicemembers.

Following the match, game-worn jerseys will be signed by players postgame and sold, with proceeds benefiting Veterans Bridge Home.

“The Charlotte Independence’s Military Appreciation Night sends a clear signal to our nation’s military families that Charlotte values their service and wants them to live here,” said Steven Cole, Veterans Bridge Home Metrolina Market President. “We’re proud to partner with the team to honor those families who served and help them thrive here.”

Charlotte Independence owner Dan DiMicco also shared his personal commitment to supporting the military community:

“We at the Charlotte Independence have a special respect for our men & women Veterans and Military. Our connection goes way beyond just playing our games at the historic American Legion Veterans Memorial Stadium. I personally would like to thank everyone at Veterans Bridge Home for all they do to connect Veterans and their families to the community. We can never do enough to support them for their sacrifice, never!”

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to receive a complimentary camouflage bucket hat and take part in an evening dedicated to honoring our service members.

Tickets for the match are available now at www.charlotteindependence.com. For any further media information, reach out to Harrison Clark at harrison@queencitysc.com.

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About Charlotte Independence
The Charlotte Independence is a Division III professional men’s soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club, founded in 2014, currently competes in USL League One and plays all home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium. As part of the Queen City Soccer Club, our mission is to make Charlotte a better place to live through sports. For information on club news, season tickets and more, visit CharlotteIndependence.com.

About Veterans Bridge Home
Veterans Bridge Home connects Veterans and their families, in any state of transition, to the community. Through our network of partners, we help Veterans navigate employment, create social connections, and settle their families. We look at the whole Veteran and connect them to the resources needed to be successful and thriving leaders in our community. For more information about our mission and what we do, visit www.veteransbridgehome.org.

CHARLOTTE, NC (August 2, 2025) – Charlotte Independence drew their fourth consecutive game Saturday night, tying Texoma FC 3-3 at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

#26 Souaibou Marou, #8 Juan David Moreno, and #2 Fabrice Ngah found the back of the net for the Jacks, but a red card in first half stoppage time gave Texoma life.

Charlotte struck first in the 14th minute. A Texoma FC defender slipped, leaving the ball to #9 Jon Bakero. The Spaniard drove the endline and centered to Marou, who made no mistake.

Texoma looked to get back into the game through their leading goal scorer #10 Ajmeer Spengler. Charlotte goalkeeper #28 Matt Levy denied Spengler’s deflected header in the 20th minute. Two minutes later, the midfielder struck the goal post.

The Independence doubled their lead in the 31st minute. Marou nicely turned and started a counterattack. Bakero slipped it across to Moreno, who finished his second goal in as many games.

Texoma got one back in the 40th minute. #8 Luke McCormick’s first attempt was blocked. The follow-up from #23 Teddy Baker deflected off Ngah and past Levy.

The half finished frantically. #15 Rafael Jauregui was taken down in the box, giving the Jacks a penalty kick. Bakero stepped up, but his try was saved by goalkeeper #13 Javier Garcia. After the ensuing corner kick, Marou struck a Texoma defender and was issued a red card.

The red card was Charlotte’s first of the season and left the Jacks to fend for themselves down 10 men heading into the second half.

Spengler again had a great chance from just outside the box in the 57th minute, but missed just wide.

Texoma, pressing men forward, left themselves susceptible at the back and the Jacks made them pay in the 60th minute. #11 Bachir Ndiaye released Bakero, who snuck his way in behind. Suddenly, the Independence were in 2-on-0 and Bakero set up his third assist of the night for a Ngah tap-in.

Texoma went back on the attack and got the goal back in the 72nd minute. Substitute #24 JP Jordan fed McCormick. The forward displayed great feet in the penalty area and blasted a strike into the bottom corner to make it 3-2.

The Jacks had a golden opportunity to potentially put the game away in the 81st minute. #21 Tumi Moshobane slipped in #99 Christian Chaney, but the striker took one touch too many and Garcia shut down the angle.

Texoma equalized in the 83rd minute. A whipped-in set piece found #7 Brandon McManus on the volley, leaving Levy rooted at his spot.

One final chance came from Spengler in the 96th minute. The midfielder turned inside and fired a left-footed strike off the crossbar.

After six minutes of stoppage time, the whistle blew and the game ended 3-3, handing the Jacks their fourth draw in a row.

QUOTES:

Mike Jeffries on the performance:

“I’m gutted for the guys because they put a lot into it. They played well and quite honestly, we had so many chances to bury the game from the missed penalty, to chances at 3-2 that were sitters that you just can’t miss out on those chances. Eventually, playing down a man caught up with us and we were a little open at the end.”

Jeffries on what he has seen over the past four games:

“We’re frustrated, we can look at every one of those games and feel like we should have come out with more. We’ve had leads in all but the one in Madison. And we haven’t been able to finish the games out.”

Jon Bakero on his three assists:

“It’s been good. I’ve been really finding my feet and I’m feeling really comfortable in the system that we’re playing and the confidence the coach has given me feels goo. I’m happy to help the team with assists, with whatever I can, but it doesn’t really matter if we can’t get the win. I think that’s really the frustrating part tonight.”

Christopher Jaime on what the team needs to do to find three points:

“I think being more organized, especially when new guys are on the pitch. I think that’s what has been costing us, not everyone being on the same page.”

KNOXVILLE, TN (July 30, 2025) – A four-goal affair ended in a 2-2 draw Wednesday night between Charlotte Independence and One Knox SC in Tennessee.

The Jacks battled back after conceding first, scoring twice through #11 Bachir Ndiaye and #8 Juan David Moreno. One Knox found an equalizer shortly after to share the points.

Following a 45-minute rain delay, One Knox found the breakthrough just two minutes in. #4 Jordan Skelton scored his second goal in as many games against Charlotte, blasting home a loose ball in the box off a corner kick.

Suddenly chasing the game, Charlotte found their legs and pressed a strong Knoxville defense. The Jacks equalized in the 24th minute.

After #15 Rafael Jauregui was taken down just outside the box, #21 Tumi Moshobane whipped in a lovely cross to the back post and Ndiaye headed it home for his third goal of the season.

The two goals were the two best chances of the first half as the two teams headed to the intermission tied at one, an identical score 45 minutes in the first time around.

One Knox nearly made it 2-1 in the 58th minute. #77 Nico Rosamilia struck the crossbar with a thunderous strike from 25 yards out with help from a deflection off #4 Nick Spielman’s head.

Five minutes later, the Independence countered and had a strong chance of their own. #9 Jon Bakero floated a cross, but Moshobane couldn’t hit the empty net from a sharp angle.

But in the 67th minute, they did indeed find the back of the net. Bakero squared it for #26 Souaibou Marou. The Cameroonian dummied it on and Moreno placed his right-footed finish past #1 Sean Lewis, giving the Jacks their first lead of the match. It is Moreno’s first goal for the Independence.

One Knox had a response in the 79th minute. Rosamilia slipped through #21 Stavros Zarokostas and the winger finished well past #28 Matt Levy.

One Knox pressed on for the late winner, hoping to steal back three points. #6 Abel Caputo blasted a half-volley try over in the 87th minute. In stoppage time, One Knox dribbled around Levy, but #5 Javen Romero saved the day, stopping it off the line.

The score ended 2-2 and both teams split the points.

QUOTES:

Mike Jeffries on the performance:

“I don’t think we could have started any worse. Just from the kickoff, not into it and then long throw, second ball corner, and then it’s just scramble off the corner. I did feel like after we conceded the first goal, it took a little time for us to get in the game, but I thought we did a pretty good job of pushing the game in the first half. 
Maybe didn’t create a ton of chances out of it, but I thought we had a good hold on the game in terms of just our possession and movement. Great to get a goal off a set piece for us and get to 1-1 at halftime. I thought the second half was a pretty level half.”

Jeffries on the boost Moshobane and Moreno have given the group:

“Both of those guys are very talented attacking players and we feel like we have a good core of talented attacking players and can rotate and there’s going to be days when one guy’s a little sharper than another and so forth. I think it gives us the opportunity to change how we play a little bit to keep guys fresh.”

Bachir Ndiaye on the competitiveness of the game:

“It was a very competitive game from two good teams. Truly think we were the better team for most of the night.”

Jon Bakero on multiple players stepping up:

“Just a little disappointing to not come back with the three points because I feel like we had the game right there. It’s a tough place to play against a good team. I think the team is showing how deep it is and a lot of guys are coming up in big moments and just shows the quality of the squad overall.”

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 19, 2025) – Charlotte Independence and Portland Hearts of Pine clashed in their first-ever meeting to a 1-1 draw Saturday night at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

Charlotte got the party started with a #2 Fabrice Ngah goal, but Portland struck in the 69th minute through #3 Nathan Messer to tie it. Despite a 20-8 shot advantage, the Jacks could not take advantage at home, only taking home one point.

The Jacks got the scoring started in the 10th minute. After #8 Juan David Moreno pressed forward a Charlotte counter attack, #9 Jon Bakero picked up the pieces on an original cross. His cross found the left foot of Ngah, who blasted a volley from 18 yards out into the bottom corner.

The left back has now contributed four goals from his defensive position this season.

The Independence had the stronger of play throughout much of the 45 minutes. In the 20th minute, #15 Rafael Jauregui played a lovely ball to the back post. Striker #26 Souaibou Marou rose high for the header, but hit the crossbar.

The visiting team from Oregon looked dangerous with pace in transition, but their final passes were not connecting. However, Charlotte made the most of their possessions, often creating some sort of scoring opportunity. The Jacks held a 12-2 shot advantage in the first half.

Charlotte nearly made the score 2-0 in the 43rd minute. It was a Cameroonian connection, as Ngah centered to Marou, but once again, he found the crossbar with a thunderous left-footed strike from the penalty spot.

A strong first half from the Independence likely could have equaled more goals, but they took a one-goal lead to the halftime stoppage.

Charlotte kept the offensive onslaught going in the second half. In the 60th minute, Morse made a strong save on a curling effort from Jauregui, getting down to his left.

Substitute #80 Christopher Jaime did his best to double the score in the 66th minute. The 21-year-old pushed the counter, drove at his defender, and his shot missed the post by inches.

A Charlotte turnover in the 69th minute put Portland on the attack and visitors equalized. #10 Ollie Wright played Messer, who fired in a bullet from the edge of the box to tie it.

The goal gave Portland loads of confidence and they continued to put the pressure on for a go-ahead goal. Jacks goalkeeper #28 Matt Levy made the save of the match in the 80th minute, diving full stretch to his right to deny #77 Masashi Wada.

Charlotte pushed back late, but could not find a winner and the game finished 1-1.

QUOTES:

Head Coach Mike Jeffries on the performance:

“I thought we had a really solid first half, unfortunately hit the cross bar couple times, but , I thought we had a good opportunities to get the second. and really push the game in the second half. We didn’t put our foot on the gas to get the killer goal.”

Jeffries on the frustration of not getting all three points:

“I think we have a pretty strong mentality as a group, so we’ll maintain confidence and so forth. We managed to kind of pull ourselves back into the game where we had the first goal and had a chance to really bury the game and weren’t able to do that.”

Javen Romero on the performance:

“I feel like as an overall group, first half we dominated, we hit cross bar twice. 
Obviously, we just always got to keep fighting till the end. We can’t let one little chance that they get can punish us just like they’ve done.”

Christian Chaney on the team’s mentality:

“We’re in a midseason kind of funk right now and we had three games, two points isn’t good enough. So this next week that we have leading up to the next game, we’re going to put our heads down and work harder.”

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 16, 2025) – Charlotte Independence and Forward Madison FC tied 1-1 for the second time this season Wednesday night in Wisconsin.

The Jacks battled back from down a goal in the second half thanks to #11 Bachir Ndiaye. The clash was a rematch of last season’s League One playoff matchup, where Forward Madison ended the Independence’s season at Breese Stevens Field. #99 Christian Chaney also made his first appearance back in Wisconsin as a visitor, having played last year for the Flamingos.

The Jacks had the first great chance of the match in the 10th minute. #6 Omar Ciss started the play, dribbling away from his defender and lifting a ball into space for #9 Jon Bakero. Bakero played it across to #26 Souaibou Marou. The Cameroonian fired for the bottom corner, but struck the post.

Forward Madison started to settle into the half around the 20th minute. The hosts forced four saves out of league leader #28 Matt Levy in the first stanza. Two of those came in the 21st and 28th minute against Madison’s hero the first time these two squared off this season, #24 Nazeem Bartman. Both of his strikes from the edge of the area were seen all the way by the Jacks goalkeeper.

The Jacks hit the woodwork for the second time of the half in the 36th minute. Bakero’s corner was met first by Marou and on the second ball, Chaney’s header hit the crossbar.

Forward Madison struck first just a minute before halftime. #77 Lucca Dourado slipped through #11 Christopher Garcia. The winger dribbled around Levy and netted his first of the season to give Madison a pivotal one-goal lead just before the break.

The Jacks started the second half on time and it was Chaney who had a brilliant chance two minutes in. #15 Rafael Jauregui’s cross took a perfect deflection and from inside the six-yard box, Chaney’s uncontested diving header soared over the bar.

Chaney had another strong opportunity in the 58th minute. The forward danced around two defenders, but a kick save from goalkeeper #1 Bernd Schipmann kept him out.

The pressure from Charlotte finally paid off in the 64th minute. Forward Madison misplayed a bouncing ball just outside of the box. Ciss pounced on it, fed Ndiaye, and the midfielder buried his shot into the bottom corner for his second goal of the season to knot things up at one.

Charlotte remained the better of the two sides in the second 45 minutes, living in Madison territory. Ndiaye was often the catalyst, winning numerous balls in the midfield and sparking attacks. Bakero found loads of space in his attacking midfield position as well, churning out forward runs before spraying them to the wingers and running fullbacks.

However, despite Charlotte’s strong play, neither team could find a late winner and the two sides shared the spoils, drawing 1-1.

QUOTES:

Head Coach Mike Jeffries on the team’s performance:

“Thought the guys showed a lot of character in the second half. To concede right at the end of the first half and on a really tight play, it would have been easy to put our heads down and and show our frustration. But I thought we came out in the second half with a real desire to get back in the game and we equalized and we pushed it. I thought at the end of the game that we were the team that was pushing the game and trying to get the three points and had them on their heels and we just couldn’t quite get it done.”

Jeffries on bouncing back after a tough goal to end the first half:

“We walked in feeling a little bit cursed. You could see the guys’ heads down. But like I said, I think it’s a group that has a a real strong belief in themselves. They managed to pick their heads up and push themselves through it. It was a frustrating for us staff because we actually felt like we did a good job with the shape for the most part. We limited them, except for a couple free kicks and then we hit the crossbar and hit the post. It was easy to be frustrated, but we managed it.”

Bachir Ndiaye on his goal:

“It’s always a great feeling to score a goal, especially with the situation that we were in. I also think that it was a reflection of the performance that we put in today, wish that we walked away with the three points”

Jon Bakero on the team’s character in the second half:

“I think we had a pretty solid first half, very unfortunate to give up the goal at the end of the first half because I thought we played well. We came out with that mentality that we were the better team and felt very unfortunate to not take the three points. But I think, it’s a good result on the road, not what we want, but it’s better to get a tie than a loss where it’s not a an easy place to play. It’s a long week, so hopefully we can finish the week with three points at home.”

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 12, 2025) – The Charlotte Independence could not complete another second half comeback Saturday night, falling at home to Union Omaha 2-1.

#26 Souaibou Marou scored late for the Jacks, but it wasn’t enough as Union Omaha got their first victory under new head coach Vincenzo Candela.

The game slated to start at 7:00 was pushed back due to heavy thunderstorms that came amidst warmups, delaying the match for just over two hours.

The Jacks had the strong chances in the first eight minutes. Just three minutes after #99 Christian Chaney fired wide, #9 Jon Bakero had the best chance of the first half for the Independence. #15 Rafael Jauregui centered beautifully, but the Spainard’s try from two yards out stunningly went wide.

Union Omaha won the possession battle in the first half and once they settled in, played the majority of the half in Jacks’ territory. The visitors registered four shots on target to zero for Charlotte.

#28 Ryan Becher had Omaha’s first attempt of the half in the 17th minute, but his header from five yards out missed the target.

After some half-chances from outside the box, Omaha’s #10 Prosper Kassim fired from the top of the box in the 31st minute. It went through #3 Pele Ousmanou’s legs, but right into the hands of goalkeeper #28 Matt Levy.

Omaha broke the deadlock a minute later. Becher got on the end of a brilliant ball from #20 Charlie Ostrem to make 1-0 from six yards out.

Becher remained Omaha’s most dangerous player in the first 45 minutes, firing off the crossbar from 20 yards in the 39th minute.

The road team took a one-goal lead to the halftime break.

The Jacks came out with a pep in their step and had the first great chance of the second half. #17 Clay Dimick centered nicely into #6 Omar Ciss’ path, but the midfielder couldn’t place it past Omaha keeper #24 Rashid Nuhu.

Omaha doubled their lead in the 65th minute. A whipped in ball from #5 Marco Milanese found the head of substitute #8 Sergio Ors at the back post.

The Jacks tried to get back into the game in the 69th minute. A nice transition moment resulted in #8 Juan David Moreno firing from outside the box, but Nuhu got down to his right to make the save.

Charlotte found their success through Moreno, but his crosses could not be converted. Omaha played a strong defensive block, not giving the Independence many moments in transition and limiting chances to outside the box.

The Jacks pulled one back in the 92nd minute, igniting a slimmer of hope into the crowd at Matthews Sportsplex. #16 Tresor Mbuyu played a gorgeous ball to the back post and Marou buried it to make it 2-1.

The Independence had one final push in the final seconds, but the ball to the back post could not be settled and the referee blew the final whistle, giving the visitors a 2-1 victory.

QUOTES:

Head Coach Mike Jeffries on the perfomance:

“Disappointed. We lost our way most of the first half, allowed them to dictate the game, and disappointed in both the goals that we conceded. The first one put us in a hole and both from needless giveaways and not reacting well enough in transition. The character of the team is good, and we showed fight the whole way and really had our best moments towards the end of the game, chasing the game, and pushed pretty hard. The goal came too late and we just didn’t really have enough time to make a push for a second one.”

Jeffries on preparing for a team with a new head coach:

“Yeah, they’re a good team and they’ve actually been playing fairly well and just not getting results. Getting a new head coach, we knew they’d have a push from that and I think we felt like at the beginning of the game, we could get at them maybe a little bit and we were able to, but they definitely played with energy and passion and to be fair, they closed hard, they pushed the game, and in some phases outworked us.”

Tumi Moshobane on his first game with the Jacks:

“It felt good coming back on the pitch again. I mean, like you saw in the first half, first 15 minutes we had them. 
It was pretty tough after they got momentum. But towards the end of the game too, we started showing our quality and the game could have gone either way.”

Nick Spielman on the result:

“We just came out flat both halves. We didn’t show enough effort, as simple as that, and they came here and showed effort, put in the work, and they got two good goals.”

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 10, 2025) – Charlotte Independence announced today the signing of 23-year-old Honduran midfielder Nata Martinez to a 25-day contract, pending league and federation approval. 

Martinez recently impressed during a trial period with the club, earning praise for his energy and ability to contribute in multiple roles.

“Nata has impressed us on trial with his energy, work rate, and capacity to play a couple of positions on our roster. He will provide depth and competition in wide areas, especially as we enter a busy stretch of our season,” shared Charlotte Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries.

Martinez last played for North Carolina FC on an academy contract in the 2021 USL League One season. He spent three years developing in the NCFC Academy prior to his first-team involvement.

Earlier this summer, Martinez competed in The Soccer Tournament 2025 with Newtown Pride FC, helping the side reach the quarterfinals of the high-stakes, winner-take-all competition.

He now sets his sights on making his professional debut with the Jacks.

The 2025 season continues on Saturday, June 12 for the Jacks as they host Union Omaha. Head over to CharlotteIndependence.com/Single-Game to secure your seats to see the Jacks!  

About Charlotte Independence: The Charlotte Independence is a Division III professional men’s soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club, founded in 2014, currently competes in USL League One and plays home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium. As part of the Queen City Soccer Club, our mission is to make Charlotte a better place to live through sports. For information on club news, season tickets and more, visit CharlotteIndependence.com.

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 9, 2025) – Charlotte Independence announced today the signing of South African forward Tumi Moshobane. Moshobane joins the club after appearing in 16 games across all competitions this season with USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive. 

A dynamic and creative playmaker, Moshobane has been a consistent offensive threat throughout his career in the USL Championship and League One. Known for his pace, vision, and ability to find the back of the net, the South African international bolsters an already talented Independence front line.

“Adding Tumi provides us another dynamic attacking option,” shared Charlotte Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries. “Tumi is a player who can create off the dribble, find a dangerous pass in the final third and finish opportunities. His ability to play any role in the front four and his success in both Championship and League One make him a valuable addition to our squad. In addition, Tumi has familiarity with Charlotte and with his character and work ethic, Tumi will fit in well with the group.”

Moshobane made 50 total appearances in his El Paso career, totaling one goal and three assists across two seasons. Prior to joining El Paso, Moshobane hit his stride with former USL Championship side San Diego Loyal from 2020-2023, scoring 26 goals in 119 appearances. 

“I’m proud to join Charlotte Independence and I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent this club. I’m here to give my all and help bring a championship to this city,” shared Moshobane.

Moshobane began his professional career with Lansing Ignite in 2019, earning All-League honors after scoring 10 goals in 26 games — quickly establishing himself as one of USL League One’s breakout stars. He also spent time in Charlotte earlier in his career, playing for USL League Two’s Charlotte Eagles in 2018. 

The 30-year-old attacker was born in Soweto, South Africa and played his college soccer for Kankakee Community College and Olivet Nazarene University.

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The 2025 season continues on Saturday, June 12 for the Jacks as they host Union Omaha. Head over to CharlotteIndependence.com/Single-Game to secure your seats to see the Jacks!  

About Charlotte Independence: The Charlotte Independence is a Division III professional men’s soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club, founded in 2014, currently competes in USL League One and plays all home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium. As part of the Queen City Soccer Club, our mission is to make Charlotte a better place to live through sports. For information on club news, season tickets and more, visit CharlotteIndependence.com.