A number of Major League Soccer stars have now revealed their feelings regarding South Africa international Bongokuhle Hlongwane, who continues to shine for Minnesota United.
The 23-year-old joined the American side from Maritzburg United in January 2022, and has since left a big impression on his teammates, some of whom recently spoke to the club's official website to offer their thoughts on the player and his progress since his arrival.
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In his first season at the club, the attacker managed just two goals in all competitions, but Hlongwane, at the time, alluded to the lack of goals not being a true reflection of his level of performances.
"I would say I was playing well in the first season, but it's just that I couldn't score as much as I want," the winger said.
The former DStv Premiership star's second season in the MLS, however, proved much better from a statistical point of view. He managed to score 17 goals and register five assists in 38 appearances across all competition.
"Last year, I had a great season because I was able to score while I was playing well. My game was in balance, so I'm not complaining with anything," the South African added.
Seven of his goals came in the Leagues Cup and helped the side reach the quarter-finals of the competition, where they suffered a 5-0 defeat to Nashville SC.
Despite crashing out of the tournament, Hlongwane finished as the competition's second-highest goalscorer behind only Lionel Messi.
The Bafana Bafana star's teammates have now praised his form in front of goal and complimented his abilities, stating that they are proud of his development.
Here's what his peers had to say about him:
Wil Trapp (midfielder): "He can dribble players, he can win tackles, he can find a way to score, I think it was the Leagues Cup thing that really was the springboard for him."
Robin Lod (midfielder): "In the Leagues Cup, he was banging goals from left and right, which was cool. As good as he was last year, I've been super happy to see him develop.
Teemu Pukki (forward): "He scored many goals and you could see he is quite often in the right place to get a chance and he had many chances. He could have scored even more goals than he did."
Dayne St. Clair (goalkeeper): "We saw what he's capable of and from an attacking perspective, once you see the ball hit the back of the net a couple times you think that anything that comes off your foot from any spot, you have a chance at scoring it.
"I think there's nothing that can replace confidence in our sport. We need him to perform at that level on a consistent basis now and help propel us forward."
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