Kunga joins Hearts after leaving Union Omaha in USL League One, where he scored 10 goals in all competitions and led the league in successful dribbles during Omaha\u2019s 2024 USL League One Championship\u2013winning season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After missing the 2025 season due to an ACL injury, Kunga expressed his excitement to return to the field and add to Hearts\u2019 talented front line, \u201cIt\u2019s an attacking team. That\u2019s the kind of football I like. I\u2019ve always been most successful in teams that press and make problems for opponents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an exciting, proven, USL League One talent,\u201d said Hearts Head Coach Bobby Murphy. \u201cWe expect him to make a full recovery, and we\u2019re excited to get him integrated as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kunga\u2019s early career saw him play at clubs across the USL Championship, with stints at Charleston Battery (2017), Atlanta United 2 (2018), Memphis 901 FC (2019), and Phoenix Rising FC (2020), where he was part of the club\u2019s Western Conference\u2013winning squad. Kunga then moved to Kristiansund BK in Norway (2021) before returning to the United States for a season in USL League Two with Des Moines Menace (2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the international stage, Kunga has earned five caps for the United States at the U-20 level, along with scoring one goal at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked about his decision to join Hearts, Kunga points to the Portland community, and Bobby Murphy as major selling points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I\u2019m beyond excited to join this team and play in front of such a passionate community,\u2019 Kunga said. \u201cWhen [Bobby] called me, he told me they believed in me, they\u2019d be patient, and they were reaching out for a reason. That meant a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n