Handwalla Bwana (born June 25, 1999)[1] is a Somali professional footballer who plays for Memphis 901 on loan from Nashville SC of Major League Soccer.[2]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | (1999-06-25) June 25, 1999 (age 23) | ||
Place of birth | Mombasa, Kenya | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Club information | |||
Current team |
Memphis 901 (on loan from Nashville SC) | ||
Number | 24 | ||
Youth career | |||
2015–2016 | Seattle Sounders FC | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2016–2017 | Washington Huskies | 39 | (12) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2020 | Tacoma Defiance[lower-alpha 1] | 16 | (1) |
2018–2020 | Seattle Sounders FC | 32 | (4) |
2020– | Nashville SC | 7 | (0) |
2022– | → Memphis 901 (loan) | 4 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 19, 2022 |
Bwana was born in Mombasa, Kenya but spent six years of his childhood at a refugee camp in Kakuma, northwestern Kenya.[3] His family was resettled in the United States in 2010, initially in Atlanta, but later in Seattle, where he attended Ballard High School.[4] Bwana said "I fell in love with the game because my dad played it. My dad was a professional in Somalia".[5] Describing how his childhood shaped him as a player, Bwana has stated that "playing with a garbage ball...made me better with my feet".[6]
Bwana joined the Seattle Sounders FC Academy in 2015.[7] On September 11, 2015, Bwana made his professional debut for USL club Seattle Sounders FC 2 in a 1–0 defeat to the Orange County Blues.[8] He spent two seasons at the University of Washington.
Bwana was signed by the Sounders MLS side as a Homegrown Player on January 11, 2018.[9] Bwana made his debut for the club against expansion side Los Angeles FC as a substitute on March 4, 2018, an appearance which included a shot from outside the box that hit the crossbar.[10] He started Seattle's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal tie against Mexican club Chivas three days later,[11] but did not appear in the second leg in Guadalajara, as Seattle lost 3–1 on aggregate. Bwana started his first MLS game against FC Dallas on March 18, 2018, a 3–0 defeat.[12] His first goal was on May 9, 2018, the game winner against Toronto FC,[13] and scored again a week later against Orlando City SC.[14]
The Sounders traded Bwana to Nashville SC on October 21, 2020, in exchange for Jimmy Medranda and $225,000 of General Allocation Money.[2]
On August 19, 2022, Bwana joined USL Championship side Memphis 901 on loan for the remainder of the 2022 season.[15]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Seattle Sounders FC 2 | 2015 | USL | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
2016 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||||
2018 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
Tacoma Defiance | 2019 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | ||||
2020 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
Total | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | ||
Seattle Sounders FC | 2018 | MLS | 12 | 2 | — | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
2019 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |||
2020 | 5 | 1 | — | 0[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
Total | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 4 | ||
Nashville SC | 2020 | MLS | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
Career total | 50 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 55 | 5 |
Seattle Sounders FC
Memphis 901 FC – current squad | |
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