UMGADLI uBongokuhle “Saniza” Hlongwane usephumele obala ngokulangazelela kwakhe ukubuyela eqenjini lesizwe iBafana Bafana osekunesikhashana egcine ukubizwa kulona phezu kokuba sefomini enhle eqenjini lakhe iMinnesota United edlala kwi-Major League Soccer (MLS) e-USA.
UHlongwane (24) oqede isizini edlule ka-2024 ye-MLS eshaye amagoli angu-11 waba wumvusi wenyamazane kwamane, ubalwa nabadlali abashaye into ecokeme kwiMinnesota eqede endaweni yesithupha kwi-log ye-Western Conference kwi-MLS.
Lo mgadli oqale ukubonakala kwiMaritzburg United kumasizini edlule, usagijime kwiBafana Bafana amahlandla angu-18, washaya amagoli amane.
Ugcine ukubonakala kwiBafana ngoNovemba nyakenye, ngesikhathi ibhekene neRwanda kowohlungela iNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2026. Usale ngaphadle esikwatini somqeqeshi uHugo Broos esibuye nendondo yethusi emqhudelwaneni i-Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) e-Ivory Coast ekuqaleni konyaka.
“Angikhathazekile ngokungabizwa kwami kwiBafana. Angicabangi ukuthi leyo yinto okufanele ngiziphathise ikhanda ngayo ngoba akukho emandleni ami ukukhethwa eqenjini lesizwe. Uma nje ngisaqhubeka nokwenza kahle eqenjini lami, ngikholwa wukuthi ngisazophinde ngilithole ithuba lokudlala kwiBafana,” kusho uHlongwane.
“Njenganoma yimuphi umdlali, ngingakuthokozela ukuzibona nami ngiseqenjini leBafana eliyodlala kwi-Afcon ngonyaka ozayo (eMorocco) kodwa umqeqeshi nguyena othatha izinqumo futhi ngeke ngasiphoqa isimo. Ngisazoqhubeka nokuzimisela eqenjini lami, ngishaye amagoli.”
UHlongwane owashaya igoli lakhe lokuqala kwiBafana ngo-Okthoba ka-2021ngesikhathi ibhekene ne-Uganda kowobungani, usedlale amasizini amathathu kwi-MLS. Uveze ukuthi usengayemukela inselelo yokudlala kwenye yamaligi ase-Europe uma ithuba lingavela.
“Uma ungumdlali webhola uhlale ufuna njalo ukuzibona ukhula, ngakho-ke nami ngingakuthokozela kumasizini ezayo ukuzibona ngidlala kwenye yamaligi ase-Europe.
Noma ngingakagculiseki ngokuphelele ngendlela engisadlale ngayo kula masizini amathathu ngidlala kwi-Major League Soccer, kowa ngizibona ngikhula isizini nesizini njengoba ngedlule ngikwazile ukushaya amagoli angaphezulu kwalawo engiwashaye kwamabili edlule.”
Lo mdlalii odabuka KwaNxamalala, eSweetwaters, eMgungundlovu, nowakhushulelwa esikimini esikhulu seMaritzburg ngesizini ka-2018/2019, ngemuva kokuthatha amehlo amaqembu amakhulu aseGauteng, wasayinwa yiMinnesota ngesizini ka-2022.