Hlongwane opens the scoring in winning Leagues Cup start for Minnesota

South African winger Bongokuhle Hlongwane opened the scoring on Wednesday evening as Minnesota United stormed to a 4-1 victory over Querétaro to begin play in the Leagues Cup.

There’s something about Bongi and @LeaguesCup idk pic.twitter.com/84JpCMOhX9

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 31, 2025

Hlongwane reacted quickly for a well placed tap-in after left back Joseph Rosales’ shot was deflected into the former Maritzburg United player’s path. The 11th minute goal inspired a decisive victory for Minnesota in the competition that pits clubs from Major League Soccer against clubs from Mexico’s top flight Liga MX.

Ghana-born striker Kelvin Yeboah also got in on the scoring, doubling Minnesota’s advantage in the 20th minute with a stellar free kick from just outside the penalty area.

Kurl It Like Kelvin pic.twitter.com/ECiXD997xc

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 31, 2025

Querétaro pulled a goal back in the second half but Minnesota insured victory in the final fifteen minutes with goals from Anthony Markanich and Tani Oluwaseyi. It is a dream start for the club who are aiming for a strong tournament in the league-style format where the top four performing teams from each league qualify for the quarterfinals.

Despite some excellent moments this season, Hlongwane has strong competition on the flanks at Minnesota and his playing time has varied. However, he has featured in nearly every game this season with 4 goals and 2 assists in 28 appearances and Wednesday’s strong performance arrives after a bit of a dip in recent form.