St Louis City SC have moved back to the top of the MLS Western Conference after another emphatic win with Njabulo Blom playing a key role in midfield.
The Bafana Bafana midfielder, who joined the expansion club from Kaizer Chiefs ahead of the new 2023 season started the season with real promise, starting in their opening two victories over Austin and Charlotte before Covid-19 saw him ruled out for two games.
Bradley Carnell’s side went on to win the following three games in a record-breaking start to life in the league but won only one in the following seven outings.
Blom was unable to start a game since match week two, but after recovering from illness and a groin strain, his last three games have seen them upturn in results with three successive wins again.
The latest was a 3-0 win over Houston that moved them back to the summit ahead of Seattle Sounders, who have played three games more. However, third-placed LAFC have two games in hand over City, with a three-point gap.
Blom has played a crucial role in the midfield anchor role which Sporting Director, Lutz Pfannenstiel told iDiski Times they scoured the globe to find a player of his profile.
“I was looking literally all over the world and I could not find that guy or any better guy than Blom,” he said after his arrival.
And he certainly lived up to their expectations so far as they continue to defy the odds under the tutelage of Carnell in their debut MLS campaign.
The 23-year-old has been named in the Bafana Bafana 35-man preliminary squad ahead of their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco on 17 June.
