AmaZulu FC co-coach Arthur Zwane offered an assessment of midfielder Bongani Zungu’s full debut following their 1-0 victory over Magesi FC in a Betway Premiership match on Saturday afternoon.
The game between Usuthu and Dikwena Tsa Meetse took place at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. Zungu’s solo goal in the 53rd minute of the match was enough for the KwaZulu-Natal side to collect maximum points away from home.
Zungu’s stellar display on the day earned him the Man of the Match accolade. He played for 62 minutes until he was replaced by Ethan Brooks.
AmaZulu confirmed the acquisition of the experienced midfielder four weeks ago. He joined the club on a free transfer following his departure from Mamelodi Sundowns.
He was unveiled alongside former Orlando Pirates defender Sandile Mthethwa, who also made his debut against Magesi when he came on in the second half, replacing Etiosa Ighodaro in the 84th minute of the game.
AMAZULU FC CO-COACH ARTHUR ZWANE REACTS TO BONGANI ZUNGU’S FULL DEBUT
Zwane acknowledged that, despite Zungu’s undoubted talent, he had to be pushed to reach peak physical condition. However, the coach expressed confidence that Zungu would significantly impact the team once he regained full fitness.
“Look, there’s no doubt Bongani is a quality player. He has the experience and has been in the game, playing at the highest level,” said Zwane.
“So, it was a case of us building him up. We know we are going to need him as time goes on. Unfortunately, we are finding it difficult to get friendly matches where we can build him up.
“Not only him [Zungu] but Sandile Mthethwa as well, because we have our return-to-play protocol. We are now forced to build him up with official games because there are only a few games and teams that are available to play against us. There are other things that are making our lives difficult, such as the weather, where you find the pitch waterlogged.”
The ex-Kaizer Chiefs mentor added: “But we are so proud of the guys for coming here and getting a positive result; they gave their all. You could see in the last 20 minutes that they were pushing themselves. However, they showed that mentally they are strong and demonstrated a lot of character.”
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