1. Early Life and Background
Bongani Zungu was born on October 9, 1992, in Duduza, South Africa. He began his football journey at a young age, joining Dynamos in 2010 where he played in their youth setup until 2012. This early training provided the foundation for his professional career.
2. Club Career
Bongani Zungu's professional club career has spanned multiple leagues and countries, marked by key transfers and significant achievements both in South Africa and Europe.
2.1. Early Career in South Africa
Zungu's professional career began with University of Pretoria, whom he joined from Dynamos at the start of the 2012-13 season. During his time with AmaTuks, he played a crucial role in helping the club secure a top-eight finish in their debut campaign in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). His promising performances quickly attracted attention from larger clubs.
At the end of that season, it was announced that Zungu would transfer to Mamelodi Sundowns as part of a swap deal, which saw Buhle Mkhwanazi and Siyabonga Ngubane move to University of Pretoria. Zungu's tenure at Mamelodi Sundowns was highly successful, despite suffering a hairline fracture of the shin in a 3-2 victory over Maritzburg United in February 2016, an injury that sidelined him for up to twelve weeks. Despite missing most of the second half of the 2015-16 season due to this injury, Zungu concluded his time at Sundowns on a high note, with the club lifting the PSL title in May 2016.
2.2. European Career
Following his successful period in South Africa, Zungu ventured into European football. On January 20, 2016, his agent, Steve Kapeluschnik, confirmed that Zungu would join Portuguese side Vitória de Guimarães upon the expiration of his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns at the end of the season. After spending one season in Portugal, Zungu made another significant move to French club Amiens SC in 2017. He played for Amiens for several seasons, featuring in 52 matches and scoring 2 goals.
In October 2020, Zungu joined Scottish club Rangers on a loan deal from Amiens. During his time at Rangers, he contributed to the club's historic achievement of winning their 55th league title, a significant milestone. Rangers also secured an option to sign him permanently for a transfer fee of 2.70 M GBP.
2.3. Return to South Africa
After his European spell, Zungu returned to South Africa. He left Mamelodi Sundowns in June 2024. Subsequently, in December 2024, he joined AmaZulu, marking his return to the South African Premier Division.
3. International Career
Bongani Zungu has been a consistent presence for the South Africa national team, known as Bafana Bafana. He made his senior international debut on August 17, 2013, in a 2-0 victory against Burkina Faso. His first international goal came on November 15, 2013, against Swaziland in a match that South Africa won 3-0. Throughout his international career, Zungu has represented his country in various competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations.
4. Personal Life
Beyond his professional football career, Bongani Zungu has faced personal challenges. In July 2014, he was the victim of a hijacking incident in Duduza, where a group of armed men stole his car from outside his home.
5. Statistics
Bongani Zungu's professional career statistics reflect his journey across various clubs and his contributions to the South Africa national team.
5.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| University of Pretoria | 2012-13 | Premier Division | 25 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | |
| Mamelodi Sundowns | 2013-14 | Premier Division | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| 2014-15 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | ||
| Total | 58 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 3 | ||
| Vitória Guimarães | 2016-17 | Primeira Liga | 16 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 23 | 2 | ||
| 2017-18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Total | 19 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| Amiens | 2017-18 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2018-19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2019-20 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 1 | ||||
| Rangers (on loan) | 2020-21 | Scottish Premiership | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Career total | 169 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 205 | 15 | ||
The "Other" column primarily accounts for appearances in cup competitions such as the MTN 8 Cup and the Supertaça Cup.
5.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 2013 | 6 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 30 | 5 | |
Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first, with the score column indicating the score after each Zungu goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 15, 2013 | Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba, Swaziland | Swaziland | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 2 | March 29, 2015 | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, South Africa | Nigeria | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 3 | June 28, 2019 | Al Salam Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | Namibia | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 4 | July 10, 2019 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | Nigeria | 1-1 | 1-2 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5 | November 13, 2020 | Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa | São Tomé and Príncipe | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
6. Honours
Zungu has accumulated several notable honours throughout his club career:
Mamelodi Sundowns
- PSL: 2013-14; 2015-16
- Nedbank Cup: 2014-15
- Telkom Knockout: 2015-16
- African Football League: 2022
Rangers
- Scottish Premiership: 2020-21
7. Controversies and Incidents
Bongani Zungu has been involved in several off-field incidents throughout his career. In February 2021, during his loan spell with Rangers, he was among five players fined by Scottish police for attending an illegal gathering of 10 people in a flat. This incident was a breach of the lockdown rules put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.