As the Motsepe Foundation Championship’s new season is fast approaching, former Orlando Pirates midfielder Nkanyiso Zungu finds himself without a club after Lerumo Lions FC decided against extending his stay, FARPost can reveal.
Zungu joined the North West-based side in February 2026 following his departure from Magesi FC, after head coach John Maduka was shown the exit door last campaign.
The 30-year-old had signed for Magesi as a free agent in August 2025, brought in to add the much-needed experience to the squad’s midfield department.
Before his brief stint with Magesi, Zungu was on the books of Pretoria Callies—the club that ultimately sold its PSL status to Lerumo Lions ahead of the 2025/26 season.
WHY LERUMO LIONS FC DECIDED AGAINST NKANYISO ZUNGU’S CONTRACT EXTENSION
FARPost can confirm that the Sibongile Marokana-owned side decided against renewing the former Stellenbosch FC man’s contract ahead of the new campaign due to a recurring long-term injury.
“Nkanyiso Zungu was sent home due to an injury,” a source close to this publication stated. “It seems like he sustained a long-term injury, so he wasn’t offered a new contract by the team for the new season.”
HOW NKANYISO ZUNGU GOT TO JOIN LERUMO LIONS FC
When Lerumo Lions initially snapped up the midfielder during the second half of the South African second-tier in the last term, club chairlady Marokana highlighted her “open-door” policy, revealing that Zungu had trained with the club prior to his move to 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 in an exclusive interview at the time.
“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.
“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… I can see that he is still there; he just needs help improving his fitness.”
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