Lerumo Lions chairlady Sibongile Marokana has shed light on how the ex-Orlando Pirates midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu’s move to the club unfolded following his sudden departure from Betway Premiership side Magesi FC.
The 30-year-old midfielder joined Dikwena Tsa Meetse as a free agent in August 2025, brought in to provide the much-needed experience in the midfield.
Zungu’s stint with Magesi followed a period with Pretoria Callies, the club that sold its Motsepe Foundation Championship status to Lerumo Lions ahead of the current season.
While at Magesi, the gifted attacking midfielder made 10 appearances across all competitions. His highlight in the Magesi colours was a Man of the Match performance in their 2-1 victory over TS Galaxy on 18 October 2025, at the Seshego Stadium.
However, it remains unclear what transpired at Magesi which led to his exit at the club. As previously reported by FARPost, Zungu’s contract at Magesi retained the right to terminate the agreement should the player fail to meet specific behavioral standards—a stipulation added due to previous off-field issues that hampered his progress at various clubs, including Pirates.
HOW NKANYISO ZUNGU’S MOVE TO LERUMO LIONS MATERIALISED
Speaking on the midfielder’s return to the Motsepe Foundation Championship, Marokana emphasised on her “open-door” policy, and revealed that Zungu was with the team before he could sign with Magesi.
“I don’t know what happened there [at Magesi], and I never involve myself in other teams’ politics or issues, whether good or bad; it is not my business,” Marokana told FARPost.
“But what I can tell you is that before he went there, he was with us. He was still being assessed, and it happened that he got the Magesi opportunity. I spoke with him and said, ‘You know what? Make the best of this opportunity.’
“For me, I always want to see players grow. I said to him, ‘You have made your mistakes throughout your football career, but if you have a chance to be in the Betway Premiership again, go for it.’ I told him he would always have a home [at Lerumo Lions] in case things didn’t work out. That is exactly how it happened.”
‘FOCUS ON FITNESS AND REGAINING FORM’: SIBONGILE MAROKANA
Marokana confirmed that the former Stellenbosch FC player has already begun his integration back into the squad and played his first game for the club about a week ago in their 2-0 loss to Upington City FC.
“He knew where to go back to if things maybe didn’t work out. Even now, the technical team has been working very hard to try to get him into shape, get more active, and bring him back to fitness, you know. He had his first game before the FIFA break. I could see that he is still there; he just needs help to improve his fitness.
Reflecting on her philosophy regarding player movements, the Lerumo boss added: “I used to tell my players while we were still in the ABC Motsepe League that if you want to grow, don’t grow sideways, but grow upwards.
“If you are going upwards, those are opportunities, and I will not even ask questions; I will give you your clearance to take those bigger opportunities coming your way. But you are not going to move from one team to the next in the same league, like the ABC Motsepe League, because you end up becoming too comfortable and stagnant, and you will never grow again. Hence, with him, when he said there’s an opportunity, I said go for it.”
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