Mngqithi: Bongani Zungu not yet ready to play

Mamelodi Sundowns fans will have to wait a little longer before they can see returnee Bongani Zungu taking the field.

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Masandawana co-head coach Manqoba Mngqihti says there is still a lot of ground work to be done on ‘Ben 10’. Zungu last played a football game in April and he took part in his first training session with Downs about a week ago.

“He is still a bit far from participating, considering that he was not part of the pre-season training and he still has a little bit of work to do,” said Mngqithi.

“He has not played in the longest of time but we are hoping that it will be shorter than two months because he is a very disciplined boy who works very hard and he is showing interest to come in and assist the team.

“We are looking forward to seeing the progress that he makes in the next two to four weeks but we are optimistic that he will do well,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sundowns find themselves in an unfamiliar position on the log, below the bird’s-eye view they are accustomed to. But this does not bother the Downs co-head coach, who insists that Sundowns are still revving the engine and once they get going, they will be “stronger than last season.”

“The fans must be patient with the team because it is going to come right and it will be stronger than what it was last season. This is a process that we must treat very carefully to make sure that we arrive at our final destination the way we intend,” said Mngqitthi, as he reflected on Downs’ 1-1 draw with Sekhukhune United on Saturday.

“It is not an issue of catching up… it is still the first five games of the season and we are focused on the conditioning of the players to make sure that they are ready for the grueling part of the season.

“The first five matches of the season will never tell you much … all you must appreciate is that your numbers are very good in terms of your distances, sprint intervals and all that. Once you know that the body is giving you what you want, then you can build on that going forward.”