Bongu Zungu is one of the celebrated South African soccer players who has reached career milestones playing in the midfield position for Mamelodi Sundowns and the South African National Team. The player has enjoyed a successful career since he made his professional debut in 2012. He has scored more than 28 goals for the Bafana Bafana national team and at the rate he is going, he is likely going to set more records. Aside from this, he is dating Cindy Mahlangu with whom he shares a son.
With all that is going on in his life, Zungu manages to draw attention to himself with controversies. Here is all we found out about him.
The Early Life and Background of Bongu Zungu
Bongu Zungu is currently 32 years old and we know this because he was born on October 9, 1992, in Duduza, South Africa. Though the identities of his family members are not known, the player has shared pictures of his mother and younger brother on his Instagram account.
The Midfielder Launched his Professional Career in 2012
The Duduza native started playing in the youth level of Dynamos in 2010 when he was 18. He played for two years before making the decision to go professional by playing at a competitive level.
Zungu started playing professionally in 2012 when he joined the University of Pretoria from his youth club, Dynamos. In his debut campaign, he helped AmaTuks to the top 8 position after securing 7 goals for the team in 25 appearances. Apparently, he played so well that the club swapped him to the Mamelodi Sundowns at the beginning of 2013. He was swapped with Buhle Mkhwanzi and Siyabonga Ngubane.
While there was much expectation regarding his skills at the club, this was cut short when he suffered a hairline fracture of the shin in a match against Maritzburg United in the 2015-2016 season. Howbeit the match ended in a 3-2 win for his team, Zungu’s injury took him out for most of the season. Thankfully, the club was able to lift the PSL title in May of 2016.
Following the end of his campaign with Sundowns, he moved to the Portuguese team Vitoria de Guimaraes but his stay with the club lasted for only a season. Following this, he signed a five-year contract with the French team Amiens. While still with the club, he was loaned out to Rangers for a season.
After his contract ended, he moved back to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2022.
He has also Played for the South African National Team
Considering his career rise playing at club level in Europe and South Africa, he made his international debut for the South African National team in 2013. He made his debut on August 17, 2013, in a match against Burkina Faso. However, it was in November of that same year that he scored his first international goal. He netted 1 out of the three goals that sealed the Bafana Bafana win over Swaziland.
Since his international debut over a decade ago, Zungu has made 30 appearances for the team as of filing this report and netted 5 goals for the team.
See Also: Jean Michaël Seri Is An Ivoirian Soccer Player: 10 Facts About Him
He is Dating Cindy Mahlangu and They Have A Son Together
While the player who wears Jersey No. 8 for the Mamelodi Sundowns has managed to hold the attention of many with his playing skills on the pitch, his romantic affair with Cindy Mahlangu is another interesting detail. The pair became the center of gossip blogs when they publicized their relationship as far back as 2020. On the one hand, there are fans who are captivated by the power relationship between a top soccer player and a well-known actress, there are those who are not in support. Those who are against the relationship feel that his involvement with the actress has affected his skills as he is prioritizing the relationship over his career.
Regardless of how people feel about their relationship, Zungu and Mahlangu hold no stone unturned when it comes to sharing their loved-up pictures on social media. More on their relationship, the midfielder and Mahlangu share a son together.
Prior, the soccer player dated Khanyi Cele, and went as far as getting engaged. But things did not work between the two and they parted ways. Moving on, news of the pregnancy was first made known by celebrity blogger, Musa Khuvalu in 2022. Apparently, the blogger’s claims were true and this was proven when the footballer and actress celebrated their son’s birthday on March 7, 2023. Based on this, we would not be wrong to say he is years old at the moment.
Apart from this, they have managed to keep his identity hidden by hiding his face and generally not mentioning his name. From available information, Zungu’s son is 3.
How Rich is the South African Player?
Bongani Zungu has an estimated net worth of $4 million which he made from his soccer career. The midfielder has been actively playing for over a decade and since then, he made an impressive amount to show for it. He was once speculated to be among the highest-paid players in Sundowns with a weekly wage of $3000. However, Zungu has since increased this amount with moves to teams like Vitoria where he earned $6000 per week.
Aside from his contracts and salary, Zungu also takes cash to the bank from endorsement deals. Based on his social media updates, he endorses brands like Puma and Nivea. From his online activities, Zungu loves to spend his earnings on cars, fancy spots, and property.
