PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Pilots winger Buba Fofanah will return to Portland for his final year of eligibility after being selected in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft this past December.
"As I look to the future in 2024, I am motivated to fulfill my late mother's dream for me to finish my education before pursuing a professional soccer career," Fofanah said. "I am filled with excitement and determination as I have decided to focus on finishing my degree here at Portland and then starting my master's degree before moving on to this new and exciting phase in my life that is professional soccer.
"I have unfinished business to take care of. So Pilot Nation: Let's run it back."
Fofanah was taken 81
st overall in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft by the Seattle Sounders. He was one of three Pilots taken in the draft this year, with Kevin Bonilla and Jacob Babalai also being selected in the SuperDraft. Fofanah is the fifth Pilot since 2016 to be taken in the MLS SuperDraft and the 11
th since 2000.
He returns to Portland after a career year in 2023 that saw him score nine goals with six assists to make the All-WCC Second Team. He was second in the WCC last year in goals scored and total points (24) and fifth in total assists. He was the only Pilot to post at least five goals and five assists on the year.
The Pilots finished off a historic year that saw them go 12-5 and earn a first-round bye for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988. They boasted a home unbeaten streak of 26-0-2 that was a program record and the longest in the nation. They led the WCC in 11 different categories and nationally ranked first in points per game (8.47), second in assists per game (3.18) and scoring offense (2.65), fourth in assists (54), fifth in points (144), sixth in goals (45) and goal differential (30), 12
th in shutout percentage (.471), 21
st in overall win percentage (.706) and 24
th in goals-against average (.882).
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