FRISCO — The North Texas SC to FC Dallas pipeline once again is flowing.
FCD has signed Bernard Kamungo to a first-team deal, it announced Tuesday afternoon, keeping Kamungo under club control through the 2027 season. The contract is for four years with club options for 2026 and 2027.
The 20-year-old has 13 goals in 21 MLS Next Pro matches this season, adding to the six goals he scored in USL League One last year. He also has four assists over the 44 appearances he has made for NTSC.
FCD is getting a player "that loves football," North Texas SC General Manager Matt Denny told the club's official website. "He’s an exciting player to watch. He can grow and develop and the player he is now I’m confident he’s going to be 10 times as good a player in the future.
"Those players that can change games? That’s the player you’ve got in Bernard."
A native of Tanzania, Kamungo moved to the United States with his family as refugees. They found a home in Abilene, Texas, where Kamungo played for the high school team, coming onto North Texas' radar only when he turned up for an open tryout last year.
READ MORE: How Kamungo went from Tanzania to an open tryout to North Texas SC star
He impressed and signed a professional contract with NTSC in March, scoring in his April debut.
"Before the tryout, I never saw myself as an FC Dallas player or a North Texas player," Kamungo said in an interview with the club's official website. "Now, I see myself going far, far, far."
Kamungo became a U.S. citizen this year, coincidentally taking the Oath of Citizenship at the same naturalization ceremony as Denny.
That made the decision to bring Kamungo up to the first team even easier for FCD, with the winger no longer needing to occupy an international roster slot.
"It means a lot to me and my family to actually get to play at the highest level, especially a team like FC Dallas, seeing the growth in myself," Kamungo said. "I’ll just keep pushing from here now. There’s no stopping. I have to just keep working and give it everything."
That work will start immediately, as Kamungo looks to become a late-season option during FCD's final five regular season games and the playoffs.
"If I could be part of that and keep pushing the team through the playoffs, I'd love to," he said. "I want to win trophies."
Lifting silverware would be a remarkable chapter in an already incredible story, one Kamungo will continue writing with FCD for the foreseeable future.