Bongani Zungu Expected to Make Return to Action in France’s 5th Division

• Bongani Zungu, the 32-cap South African international, has been out of competitive actions since the end of his loan spell in Scotland in April 2021
• Zungu's time at Glasgow Rangers ended badly when he and his teammates broke strict Covid-19 protocols
• Since returning to his club Amiens in France, Zungu has struggled to break into the first team with the fifth division appearance expected to kickstart his comeback

After a disappointing 2021, it appears that Bongani Zungu has the chance to end the year on a high with a much-need return to the pitch.

Zungu is set to appear for Amiens' reserve side in an away French fifth division fixture against La Touquet, on Saturday. This would be the Bafana Bafana international's first competitive match since his loan stint at Glasgow Rangers in Scotland, which ended acrimoniously in April.

Zungu and five other teammates fell offside with Rangers, Scottish police and the Scottish Football Association when they breached Covid-19 lockdown rules. The offence in question was attending an illegal gathering of 10 people in a confined space with all the footballers fined for this breach.

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This misstep derailed the rest of the season for Zungu, who was reported to be be battling weight and fitness issues since then, resulting in his sidelining. He has made only 52 appearances for Amiens' first team since he was acquired by the club in August 2017 on a five-year-deal from Portugal's Vitória Guimarães.

The status of the match Zungu makes his return in remains dicey as France deals with snow blizzards which have disrupted fixtures across Europe

With his immediate future in France still cloudy, Kaizer Chiefs fans' hearts started racing with excitement when rumours linking him with the club emerged. Both he and the club have been mum on these rumours, though.

Local football fans' reaction was mixed.

@SEMolekwa quipped:

"Basically he will be featuring in the equivalent of local township leagues."

@MilandKelevera retorted:

"Dolly [Keagan] is getting the same amount he was getting in Ligue 1, so..."

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@macmonate pleaded:

"He must come back home @KaizerChiefs, please save this young man like you did with Dolly."

@RolivhuwaMuhas1 stated:

"He looks out of shape... It's not worth it. At this rate he will struggle to get fitness back at home (PSL) when they finally stop giving him contracts in Europe."

Once highly rated, Bongani Zungu's market value plummets after on-and-off field struggles

With rumours emerging that he might return to South Africa, Briefly News previously reported on how Zungu's transfer value had plummeted. Once confirmed to be worth as much as R100 million, reputable transfers website Transfermarkt has marked his value down to R17 million.

This was in part due to a loss of form on the field and off-field shenanigans which put him in poor standing. However, this would play into Kaizer Chiefs' hands, as the Euro-Rand exchange rate would have been otherwise eye-watering and off-putting. They are the only team in South Africa openly linked with him.

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Fans had their say on social media.

@TIMaledi said:

"He must come and join Kaizer Chiefs."

@SabeloShark suggested:

"He must ask for loan back to SA."

@Tebose1 shared:

"No, he must come back home and join #kaizerchiefs."