Bongani Zungu hard at work at new Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes

20 July 2016 - 16:13 By Mark Gleeson

Bongani Zungu is missing out on his new club Vitoria Guimaraes’ pre-season preparations but is confident of being on the field in a fortnight as he continues his rehabilitation from a broken shin. The Bafana Bafana midfielder recently moved from Mamelodi Sundowns to the Portuguese club after signing a pre-contract at the start of the year.But he's been sidelined for months after suffering a horror injury at the end of January when he cracked his shin‚ suffering a hairline fracture.Portugal-bound Zungu has sights set on emulating legendary Benni McCarthyBongani Zungu expects to be fit again in time for when he leaves to join Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal in a month‚ where he hopes to emulate the exploits of one Benedict McCarthy. He departed for Portugal at the start of this month and while he is not involved in the first team workouts‚ he has been hard at work in the gym and out on the running track.“Without wanting to put pressure on him‚ it is probably two weeks before he gets into full contact with the rest of the squad on the pitch‚” said his agent Steve Kapeluschnik on Wednesday.Zungu’s injury was enough to rule the 23-year-old out of the rest of Sundowns’ championship-winning season‚ but not enough to torpedo his move overseas.“The only setback for him really is that he missed the bulk of the pre-season and he probably won’t be ready for the first couple of games of the new league season. But there was never any threat that his move would not happen‚” he added.Bongani Zungu heading to Portugal on Saturday to begin his new life in GuimarãesBongani Zungu is heading to Portugal to begin his new career on Saturday despite the fact he has not kicked a ball for the last six months. Guimaraes‚ who are financially backed by the Pretoria-based businessman Mario Ferreira‚ finished 10th in the Portuguese league last season.They begin their new campaign home to Sporting Braga on August 14. - TMG Digital..

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