The number is picking up serious clout in black-and-gold.
Three players have worn the No. 99 for LAFC so far, and it’s turning out to be a pretty special number in black-and-gold.
The most recent example came on Thursday, when Denis Bouanga, the current inhabitant of the No. 99 for LAFC scored a brace and indirectly set up the winning goal en route to a 3-2 playoff win over the LA Galaxy at The Banc.
It was a performance that clearly echoed that of a previous LAFC No. 99, Adama Diomandé, whose brace won the game for LAFC in the 2019 playoff win over the Galaxy.
LAFC’s official twitter account saw the parallels, and so did Dio, who tweeted a bit of respect to Bouanga for carrying on the good deeds in 99.
Love it #99 https://t.co/0o6TMOsYFA
— Dio (@Diomxnde) October 21, 2022
Diomandé currently plays for Odds in his native Norway, although he suffered a calf injury last month and has been working back from that. He remains a beloved figure for LAFC, and seeing him keeping track of his old team is heartwarming.
Hopefully this is just the beginning for Bouanga with LAFC and it’s a productive stint at the club for him and the team, but it has to be said that No. 99, not a popular number in soccer, is already reaching legendary status at LAFC. From Diomandé’s goals and becoming a fan favorite, to Bradley Wright-Phillips continuing the scoring tradition and winning MLS Comeback Player of the Year in his single season with the black-and-gold, to now Bouanga scoring big goals and pushing LAFC forward, there’s just something about this number, you know?
What do you think? Leave a comment below.