Very few people knew Bongani Zungu when he was signed by Amiens eight months ago, but he is now one of the most popular names in Ligue 1
Bongani Zungu has always played football in Duzuza, but being the humble and goal-orientated person he is, add to that – he comes from a moralistic and a strict household – meaning that he’s always kept a stable balance between his football and academics.
Football also served as a compass which served as a guide on how far he is from achieving his own dreams.
“When growing up, I always knew what I wanted and as much as I loved football, I always thought that when I got to the age of 20 and I was not a professional, I was going to quit and pursue something else. So, I was very excited when I got my breakthrough at Dynamos,” Zungu said in an exclusive interview with Goal.
Zungu joined a local football club, Dixieland Stars as a teenager.
While playing for Stars at the regional play-offs, he impressed and that would subsequently open doors to a professional football career after he caught the attention of Dynamos, who then signed him up ahead of their 2010/11 National First Division campaign.
During his two-year stay at Dynamos, he left a huge impression on the then University of Pretoria coach Steve Barker, who -when he won promotion back to the Premier Soccer League – signed him for the Pretoria side.
“Bongs has always been a big dreamer, a leader and a hard worker. He wants to get to the level of Samuel Eto’o, Benni McCarthy, Lucas Radebe and Didier Drogba and he wants to be the next Yaya Toure,” his Duduza-based youth coach, Christian Xaba fondly said of the Bafana international.
“One day, I took him to Soccer City, right after it was refurbished for the 2009 Confederations Cup, while we a watched a game there he paused and said, “I will play here someday coach.”
“He achieved those dreams and then set his mind on something else and works really hard for it. That’s him for you. His spirit, belief and attitude is unimaginable,” Xaba added.
It was at AmaTuks where as a 21-year-old minnow, Zungu introduced himself to the local football fraternity as he impressed in a deadly partnership with veteran forward Mame Niang and made 27 appearances across all competitions and scored seven goals while Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane glared from distance.
“I saw him at Dynamos and I tracked his progress,” Barker beamed.
“And one thing that impressed me the most was that he stood out for Dynamos in trying times. He showed good quality, athleticism, how comfortable he was on the ball and most importantly he had the ability to defend and attack, all in difficult circumstances, and that was a sign of character,” said Barker.
Mosimane wasted no time in approaching AmaTuks for his services and he would agree on a deal which saw Buhle Mkhwanazi and Siyabonga Ngubane go the opposite direction.
And despite acquiring Zungu the offensive midfielder, Pitso discovered that Zungu could play in central midfield and he soon deployed him there where he went on to form a solid winning combination with Hlompo Kekana.
“I actually remember that day very well,” Zungu recalled.
“We had a lot of midfielders suspended and I don’t know who told coach Pitso that I can and that I have played there before. It was a match against [Bloemfontein] Celtic. He just came to me and told me he knows that I can play as a six and he would play me there. It was not a challenge because I had played there before. I just played my normal game and then he was convinced that it is where he would play me ever since,” explained Zungu.
“Amazingly, we would go on to win the league to end a seven-year drought at Sundowns. I was happy because it put an end to a lot of things that were said about Sundowns, like joining Sundowns was a career suicide. It was something special to also win the PSL title in my first season with Sundowns,” added Zungu.
While with Sundowns, Zungu went on to make his international debut for South Africa in August 2013.
His career blossomed with Downs, and he equally grew to become an integral figure for the national team and could give enough glimpses of a potential move to Europe where a few clubs were already monitoring him.
He then moved to Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes to realise his European dream.
Rumour had been doing rounds that the now Bafana international was soon to move abroad. This is after reports emerged that Zungu had attracted interest from several clubs abroad.
The rumour was put to rest by his then agent Steve Kapeluschnik, who confirmed that the Zungu would join Portuguese Primeira Liga club Vitoria Guimaraes FC for the 2016/2017 campaign.
The dream move didn’t come without any stormy challenges. Zungu was still recovering from a shin fracture he suffered while still playing for Sundowns.
That saw him not only move to Portugal to begin his rehabilitation, but he also faced the challenges of acclimatising and he was frustrated by loneliness.
“As much as I was excited by the move, that period was the most difficult one for me and it made me appreciate the people who were there for me. Despite the injury, I was going through a lot of emotions. Being injured, being at a new place, new club and a new environment. It was a lot but those who were close to me stood by me and I am thankful for all that. The club also gave me someone who pushed me really hard and also helped me a lot. I was also mentally willing to be pushed. I think that’s when I started to see things differently,” said Zungu.
He eventually recovered fully from the injury after missing nearly the entire first round of the league season and made his debut for the club in December 2017.
One thing that he always said is, “Coach, ngizodlala la [I am going to get my chance]. Giving me a chance is a mistake that the coach must not make because he won’t be able to take me out after that.” Xaba said of Zungu’s remarks.
And indeed, Zungu would impress his in his Primeira Liga debut on the 22nd of January 2017, and went on to feature the entire duration of the second round matches. Helping Guimaraes to a top four finish to qualify for the Europa League.
By the time the season ended, he had already done enough to attract interest from Benfica and Sporting in Portugal, Villarreal and Malaga in Spain, as well as Bundesliga sides Hoffenheim and Mainz.
However, it would be Ligue 1’s new bees, Amiens, who won the race for his signature; a move that came as a surprise to him as he was hoping to move to a bigger team in Portugal instead.
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“As I said earlier, when I was 17, I learned to put pressure on myself as I decided that if I was not a professional by 20, I would quit and continue with school,” Zungu said.
“But through hard work and the support of the people that surround me, my support structure, my family, people like Chris [Xaba], and my girlfriend. They support me and encourage me not to give up. As soon as I started to experience Portuguese football, I wanted to move to a bigger team there but due to boardroom decisions, it didn’t happen,” he continued.
“I ended up signing for Amiens on the last day of the transfer window. They were a new team in the league. I looked at the players they were signing and I thought they fitted the bill because they were also ambitious. The French league is also bigger than the Portuguese league and it is more competitive. So, I welcomed the challenge. I got to Amiens on a Thursday, straight from a Bafana camp. I had to adapt quickly and get ready for camp on Saturday. Everything happened so quickly, I had to learn everything so quick and found a way to meet the required level and I am grateful at how everything has turned out,” concluded Zungu.
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