Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu has opened up about his biggest regret during his time at the Soweto giants, admitting that things could have turned different for him at the club had it not been for off-field issues.
Zungu secured a dream move to the Buccaneers after his impressive performances in the middle of the park in the colours of Stellenbosch FC in the 2019/20 season.
However, due to the stiff competition for places at Pirates, Zungu struggled to cement regular game time at the club and joined Richards Bay FC in 2022. After a season at Richards Bay, Zungu left to join Platinum City Rovers before he secured a move to Motsepe Foundation Championship side Pretoria Callies at the beginning of the season.
Nkanyiso Zungu’s tenure at several clubs, including Pirates, was ultimately cut short due to instances of disciplinary breaches. His inability to adhere to Bucs’ code of conduct led to a strained relationship with the management, resulting in his departure from the current MTN8 and Nedbank Cup champions.
WHY NKANYISO ZUNGU REGRETS HOW HE LEFT ORLANDO PIRATES
“I regret how I left Pirates because I feel like they were taking care of me,” he told FARPost. “I and outside forces ended up with them [Pirates] giving up on me. So that’s my biggest regret. If I was the person I am now, how I think and how I see things. If I had used that while I was still there [at Pirates] I would have been far by now.
“Not that it’s a lost opportunity, but I was not in a good space personally. I think the environment that surrounded me at the time. Maybe I also got too excited and forgot why I was there,” he added.
Zungu has since acknowledged the negative impact of his past indiscipline and has expressed remorse for his actions.
He has emphasised the lessons learned from these mistakes and his commitment to personal growth and maturity.
“I feel that’s what happened but now I know the situation I come from, and I don’t want to go back there. That’s why I say I am starting from scratch with everything. I have left all the bad things behind me. Now, I need to make my life better and focus on football.
The 28-year-old has already featured six times for Pretoria Callies this season. He has only missed two matches for the Motsepe Foundation Championship club.
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