Bafana Bafana striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane returned to the scoresheet as Minnesota United clinched a dominant 3-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo in an MLS fixture on Wednesday.
Hlongwane opened the scoring as early as the 15th minute for Minnesota before new signing Teemu Pukki doubled the lead five minutes later before Ismael Tajouri sealed the victory in the 87th minute.
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The win takes United up to tenth place on the MLS Western Conference log table, a point behind Dynamo and 11 points behind Njabulo Blom's St. Louis City who top the table.
B??NGI.#HOUvMIN | #MNUFC pic.twitter.com/IxKnIMsz6w
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 13, 2023
The win will also serve as a confidence-booster to a Minnesota side that suffered a 4-1 defeat to Austin Texas a week prior.
For Hlongwane, the goal was the Bafana international's eighth strike across all competitions for the season and a sixth in the league in 22 appearances.
[You don't know what he is hoping - speculative] Hlongwane will be hoping his recent form does not go unnoticed by Bafana head coach Hugo Broos for next year's African Cup of Nations (Afcon) to be played in Cote D'Ivoire.
Minnesota next face Los Angeles FC on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 02:30 (SA time).