Bafana Bafana forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane has revealed football is giving him a platform to support his family financially after his father recently lost his job.
Hlongwane, 21, is currently in Rabat with Bafana as they prepare for today’s Africa Cup of Nations 2023 qualifier against Morocco.
The Minnesota United striker hails from KwaNxamalala, a place that overlooks Pietermaritzburg and is said to be a tough place to grow up.
However, he got a huge breakthrough this season, completing a move to Major League Soccer side, Minnesota, which allows him to support his family even though he is far away.
“Sometimes I feel like I need my family too, to come and support me and be there for me, I have to take it,” said Hlongwane to SAFA’s media department.
“It’s impossible for that to happen, because they are far [away], but I have to accept it. But it’s not hard. If you know what you want in life, you have to do everything you can to face every challenge coming your way.
“It’s about what you want and what you need to sacrifice. I want to change my life and my family to be okay, I know where I come from. Sometimes it’s what keeps pushing me on, because I know where I come from.”
Hlongwane also mentioned that his father, a construction worker by trade, has been unemployed ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
“Life started to be hard but when I got my pro contract for Maritzburg, I started supporting my father,” he added.
“I’m not the breadwinner for the family, but I look after my father, sending money every month.
“My mother is working [as a nurse] but I send some money to her too to buy what they need and want at home.”
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