Bongani Zungu facing Bafana uncertainty after Covid-19 indiscretion at Glasgow Rangers

Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki has admitted Bongani Zungu’s indiscretion related to Covid-19 that will see him out of game time at Glasgow Rangers could prevent the key midfielder being called up to next month’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Bafana host Ghana on March 22 and travel to Khartoum for their closing match on March 30‚ and the tight situation in Group C means SA may need to win both matches to reach the 2021 Nations Cup.

Ntseki said he and SA Football Association CEO Tebogo Motlanthe will contact Rangers for more information on Zungu’s transgression.

The Bafana coach said he and Motlanthe had discussed the incident on Tuesday regarding Zungu being among five Rangers players having to isolate after police broke up a house party breaking Scottish Covid-19 restrictions.

The Bafana coach said after Rangers have explained the situation‚ Zungu will also be called to give his perspective.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has said the on-loan player’s actions have endangered his chances of securing a permanent move from France’s Amiens.

“It is something where we can’t commit ourselves until we have spoken to the club and to the player‚” Ntseki told TimesLIVE on Wednesday.

“I was in a meeting with the CEO [Motlanthe] [on Monday] addressing this matter. We can’t be seen to be commenting until we have spoken to the club to find out what happened.

“Maybe by the end of business [on Wednesday] we will have spoken to the club. Then a follow-up will be made with the player.”

Ntseki did admit Zungu’s flouting of Covid-19 regulations is a concern from a Bafana perspective.

“We are very worried about what  happened‚ and how is that going to impact negatively on him as a player and on Bafana Bafana,” the coach said.

“The next Fifa week of March 21 to 30 is very important for us. Those are two crucial matches where we have to play to win to qualify. We would have loved to have every player in the country available for selection."

Ntseki‚ who was assistant-coach to Stuart Baxter at the 2019 Nations Cup finals in Egypt, where Zungu was arguably Bafana's best player‚ is well aware of the midfielder's quality. Ntseki has also had personal experience with Zungu's errant ways‚ having had a fallout with the player soon after becoming head coach in late 2019 which resulted in Zungu not being selected in the early part of 2020.

The coach and player mended their relationship‚ and Zungu produced a strong performance off the bench in SA's 2-0 Afcon qualifying win in Durban against Sao Tome and Principe in November last year‚ symbolically shaking Ntseki's hand after scoring.

"In incidents like this we should not be punitive and should try to get more information because we need each other for the success of the team and for individual success in their careers‚" Ntseki said.

Zungu had been struggling to adapt from the more expressive football of Ligue 1 to the Scottish Premier League's (SPL) renowned pace and physicality.

He has made 11 SPL substitutes' appearances and one start in Rangers' 30 games‚ having joined the Scottish giants on loan last October‚ two months into the 2020-21 SPL season.