{"id":109434,"date":"2019-12-04T08:14:10","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T07:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/?p=109434"},"modified":"2023-01-14T15:47:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-14T14:47:06","slug":"bongani-zungu-the-box-box-midfielder-everything-about-his-ex-fiance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/bongani-zungu-the-box-box-midfielder-everything-about-his-ex-fiance\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look Into Bongani Zungu’s Career and The Time He Spent With Ex-Girlfriend Khanyi Cele"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bongani Zungu (born 9 October 1992) is a South African professional soccer player who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns and the South Africa national team as a midfielder. He was in a long-term relationship with Khanyi Cele before they got engaged in late 2018. Unfortunately, not so long after, precisely in March of 2019, they went their separate ways.<\/strong><\/p>\n Hardworking and tenacious are some of the adjectives that can accurately describe the Bafana Bafana football star, Bongani Zungu. Playing at the midfield position, he is notable for his box-box playing style that sees him simultaneously create chances for the forwarders and track-back to help the defense when necessary. Previously a player for the South African league’s Mamelodi Sundowns, he joined the French Ligue 1 club, Amiens in 2017.<\/p>\n Being a football star, the mercurial midfielder has become a subject of the public’s interest, especially football-loving fans, and perhaps the public nature of his relationship with his now ex-fiancee did little to help in this regard. He has become one of South Africa’s biggest football exports, plying his trade with the French Ligue 1 side, Amiens SC.<\/p>\n Bongani Zungu was born on the 9th of October 1992 in Duduza, Gauteng, South Africa. His father was an ardent fan of South Africa’s club side Orlando Pirates and apparently, he passed on his football passion to his son who began playing at an early age. Zungu’s football journey began in 2010 when he was 18 years old. He began by joining Limpopo’s youth team, Dynamos, and would spend the next two years honing his skills.<\/p>\n His skills at Dynamos were good enough to attract the attention of AmaTuks Coach Steve Barker who offered him a spot to join the team which represents the University of Pretoria. At the time that Bongai Zungus joined AmaTuks, they were in their debut PSL season. With Zungus’ help, the team was able to finish in the top 8 in the league. His contributions to the team attracted eyes from bigger clubs and Bongai chose to play next for the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club on an exchange deal which saw Siyabonga Ngubane and Buhle Mkhwanazi go the other way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bongani Zungu’s decision to join the Sundowns at the time was not an easy one as the club had at the time built a bad reputation for killing the career of youngsters. However, after much persuasion from coach Pitso, Zungu gave in to his advances and decided to join the club. Contrary to what many feared, Zungu’s career did not deteriorate but soared instead. He made a whopping 58 appearances for the team from 2013 to 2016 a period when they enjoyed huge success lifting a number of trophies including winning two PSL titles in the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons; the Nedbank Cup in 2014-15, as well as the Telkom Knockout trophy in his final season – 2015-16.<\/p>\n With his profile was boosted by trophies, Bongani Zungu came under the radar of much bigger teams including some from Europe. Portuguese club side Vit\u00f3ria de Guimar\u00e3es was the next to win his heart as he made a switch to the European side on the 20th of January 2016.<\/p>\n Due to a hairline fracture that Zungu picked up in his last match while playing for his former team (Mamelodi Sundowns), his career at Guimar\u00e3es did not kick off at a pace he’d hoped.<\/p>\n The injury which sidelined the player out of the rest of Sundowns\u2019 Championship-winning season also saw him on the sidelines for the better half of the season with his new team. The team had signed him regardless of the injury which they perceived as minor compared to his quality and when he began earning playtime, he was sure to make the best of it. Zungu would later make just 19 appearances for the club. He was able to score a goal in his 19 appearances.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Towards the end of the season, Zungu inked a deal with yet another European team – the French Ligue 1 side, Amiens, joining the side in 2017. His salary at Amiens is an estimated \u20ac299,000. The midfielder has so far been capped 57 times across all competitions for the French side, scoring two goals. It is no secret however that the Bafana Bafana star would welcome a move away from the Ligue 1 side in order to play in the UEFA Champions League – with Spain being touted as his preferred destination.<\/p>\n Zungu came close to achieving this dream when he was almost snatched up by the La Liga club, RCD Mallorca in the 2020 January transfer window. The deal which was dependent on Amiens getting a suitable replacement for him hit the rocks when they failed to land Tottenham Hotspurs’ Victor Wanyama – despite Zungu having completed his medicals in Mallorca on transfer deadline day.<\/p>\n He was forced to return to France and continue with his club for the remainder of the 2019\/2020 season. The former Mamelodi Sundowns still remains hopeful of achieving his dream of playing in Spain (and in the UCL) by the end of the season but much of that will be dependent on the willingness of his current club to cash in on him as he would have just one year left on his current contract by then.<\/p>\nSummary of Bongani Zungu’s Profile<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Bongani Zungu Began His Career in SA with Dynamos<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Breakthrough at Sundowns<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Bongani Zungu In Europe<\/strong><\/h3>\n