Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has lifted the lid on Bongani Zungu’s apology to Bernard Parker, and also shared his unreserved sympathy from everyone at the club to the TS Galaxy midfielder.
Zungu, 31, only made his third start of the campaign in Sundowns’ 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to Galaxy last week.
Zungu would’ve been disappointed with his efforts in both of the early Galaxy goals and things went from bad to worse when he came late in a tackle against Bernard Parker, which broke the Galaxy striker’s leg and earned him a red card.
Many were stunned by Zungu remonstrating to the referee about the decision, while Parker was attended to by medics.
There was almost a national debate subsequently whether Zungu should and has indeed apologised to Parker, with Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi confirming on PowerFM on Friday that Zungu had indeed reached out to Parker.
On Wednesday, Rulani was asked his opinion on the incident and made a point of first expressing his sympathy with Parker, wishing him a speedy recovery from everyone at Chloorkop.
“I need to express, on the behalf of the football club, in its entirety, from our players, on Bongani in particular, the Football Club, the technical team, the management, the Motsepe family, the supporters, we wish him a speedy recovery,” he told Andile Ncube on MetroFM.
“And our hearts and our prayers go to him and to his family for strength over what will be of course, a very difficult period. And you don’t ever want to see a football player getting injured and especially like that.”
Mokwena also revealed that he himself tried to call Parker on the day of the incident and also sent a special parcel to him.
“I tried to call him myself, I couldn’t get ahold of him, I sent him a text wishing him well. And I arranged a package, personally, a get-well package of chocolates and these type of things to show remorse, but also to say we are with you and we understand.”
The Sundowns coach then discussed how Zungu has handles the situation, explaining that he has reached out to Parker and that it has also affected him mentally.
“I do know for a fact, because I’ve had a discussion with Bongani Zungu and I have seen him throughout the week how dejected [he is] and really how it has affected him, because I know 100% he is not a malicious person and he is not a player that would go out to intentionally harm and maybe even compromise the career of another footballer.
“Because he’s experienced something very similar. If you remember, just before he left Sundowns, he got injured against Maritzburg and I was still assistant coach at that time. And he got a very, very severe injury. And so he’s been on the receiving side of something similar to that. And so I know how Bongz has felt.
“And I know that Bongs has done his best to reach out to to Bernard even to a point where I have instructed him, especially during this break because we had very, very difficult schedule where we went to Mbombela and from there we travelled the next day, and I haven’t spoken to him because today we have a day off but my instruction has been to him to try to go and pay a visit and try to extend his well wishes and but also his his expresses remorse.”
Lastly, Mokwena also discussed the incident, saying as bad as it was bad injuries do happen in a contact sport, while insisting there was not malicious intent by Zungu.
“Let’s not also go into a direction immediately of saying maybe he didn’t feel remorse, but maybe Bongs’ understanding was ‘my intention was just to go for the ball’ and he and we sit here because we’ve got the benefit of hindsight,” he added.
“We we don’t have the benefit of being in Bongani’s position at the time – understanding the intensity, the tempo, the grass, the direction the ball had come into the speed at which he was charging towards the ball – we don’t have that.
“And I don’t want to sound like I am condoning the tackle because we are not those type of people. We are not people [like] that and I know Zungu personally and I’ve known him for many years. He is not the type of person.
“But I’m not protecting him and I’m not condoning the tackle but I also know that football is a contact sport. But I think I understand that contact sports, unfortunately, come with the risk of of many such injuries and, and it was just unfortunate.
“What did disappoint me was how people, I think, went even on a personal attack to Bongani Zungu and I thought that was a little bit unfair.”
Parker has already had a successful surgery and has been discharged from hospital.
