Forgotten Bafana Bafana striker sends coach Hugo Broos a message

Bongokuhle Hlongwane, once seen as a rising star for Bafana Bafana, reminded fans of his quality with a clutch penalty for Minnesota United in their dramatic Major League Soccer playoff win over Seattle Sounders.

The forgotten national team forward, who hasn’t featured for South Africa in over two years, stepped up to score Minnesota’s ninth penalty in a tense 7-6 shootout victory after their third Western Conference playoff clash ended 3-3.

Hlongwane, who has even been deployed at right back this season, started up front and played a key role in a match that saw Minnesota come from behind twice, including after going down to 10 men before halftime. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair scored the decisive penalty to seal the win.

Minnesota had also beaten Seattle on penalties in the first leg of the three-match series, but lost the second 4-2 away. Saturday’s win sends them into the Conference semifinals, where they’ll face either San Diego FC or Portland Timbers in a single-leg showdown later this month.

Despite his club form, Hlongwane continues to be overlooked by Bafana coach Hugo Broos. He was named in the preliminary squad for this week’s friendly against Zambia but was once again left out of the final selection.

The former Maritzburg United player last featured for South Africa in 2022 and has since drifted out of the national team picture making his playoff heroics a timely reminder of his potential.