It's not easy for anybody to crack the Forge FC starting lineup, let alone a 20-year-old, but Hoce Massunda forced Bobby Smyrniotis' hand this year. The Toronto native got his first professional start on May 31 against Cavalry — Forge's sixth game of the regular season — and went on to play in every single game after that.
The first member of this year's Next Gen class of 2025, presented by Jones Deslauriers | Navacord, made a splash early in the year when he scored a highlight-reel goal from outside the box against Pacific FC. He added a handful of other dazzling moments, including another screamer against Pacific in late September.
Massunda started 25 regular season matches for Forge this year, including eight of the final 10 as well as both playoff games. He scored four goals and added five assists (the latter number being the most on his team, joint-seventh in the CPL).
He was nominated for the CPL's Best U-21 Canadian Player Award this year, as part of one of the strongest crops of U-21 talent in league history.
A confident, aggressive winger, Massunda is one of the CPL's most dynamic dribblers, always looking to put the opposition under pressure and create width on the pitch. His coach Smyrniotis once said of Massunda that he's "bold," and "doesn't care what's in front of him," crediting the youngster's confidence in taking on opposing defenders, no matter who they are.
