Bongokuhle Hlongwane gets his praise after awe-inspiring MLS campaign
With the Major League Soccer [MLS] regular season done and dusted, pacey Bafana Bafana winger Bongokuhle Hlongwane has been singled out for praise after an awe-inspiring campaign for Minnesota United.
Hlongwane enjoyed some good strides in a season he, at some point, competed, with Lionel Messi for the MLS League Cup’s Golden Boot.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane joined the Major League Soccer club, Minnesota United in January 2022 from PSL side. Maritzburg United.
The 22-year-old penned a three-year contract with a one-year option to extend and his maiden year was decent. He went on to turn a corner in the 2023 campaign. He was directly involved in 24 goals for the club.
In total, he scored 17 goals for Minnesota United across all competitions, including the MLS, Leagues Cup, and US Open Cup.
Hlongwane provided seven assists, as they ended the campaign in the MLS Western Conference, although failing to reach the playoffs.
WHAT THE CLUB SAID ABOUT BONGOKUHLE HLONGWANE’S IMPROVED SEASON
“No one had a better year than Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane]. Even if you only watched him for a few minutes last season, it was clear that this guy had bags of potential,” Minnesota said.
“In 2023, he reached into those bags and pulled out one heck of a season. Between MLS, Leagues Cup, and US Open Cup, Hlongwane had a hand in 24 goals, scoring 17 himself and dishing out seven assists to boot.
“That means he was responsible in some way for nearly 40% of his team’s goals this year. 40%! What a year from the pacey Bafana Bafana winger, who added not only a scoring touch.
“But also the kind of composure on the ball that suggests this is only the beginning,” the club added.
At the moment, 18 teams from both the MLS Eastern Conference and Western Conference are battling in the 2023 playoffs.
Former Kaizer Chiefs duo of Njabulo Blom and Teenage Hadebe are in the playoffs with St Louis City and Houston Dynamo respectively. They are hoping to lift the MLS’ ultimate prize.
Meanwhile, for Hlongwane, hopes are high that he will replicate his good form for Bafana in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
They are in Group C along with Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Their first fixtures will be against Benin and Rwanda on 18 and 21 November respectively.
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