Bongani Zungu receives stinging criticism from Rangers legend

Bongani Zungu has been on the receiving end of scything criticism by one of Rangers’ greatest ever players after breaching Covid-19 regulations.

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Zungu was one of five Rangers footballers – alongside youngsters Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Dapo Mebude and Brian Kinnear – who were named and shamed by manager Steven Gerrard this week for breaking local Covid-19 regulations following their alleged attendance at a party.

The players have all been removed from the squad in order to self-isolate and Gerrard also confirmed that all five players will be fined as punishment for their indiscretions.

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Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who scored 153 goals in 247 appearances across two highly-successful spells with the club, has since slammed the quintet’s irresponsible behaviour and suggested that an example needs to be made of them in order to prevent a reoccurrence.

“They’ve let themselves down, they’ve let their families down and they’ve let the club down,” Boyd told Sky Sports h/t The Scottish Sun.

“Yes, you can say that four of the five are young boys but it’s no excuse, especially in this day and age.

“They are role models to the younger boys in the academy. The people in the academy will be saying to the youngsters, ‘Look at what Nathan Patterson and look at what Dapo and Brian Kinnear have done to get to the level they’ve got to, in terms of being involved with the first team’.

“So they are role models to the younger ones in the academy and they’ve let themselves down. It was only a few months ago that it happened to a couple of their team-mates and they don’t realise. I go back to the age thing. You can’t use age as an excuse.

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“Everybody knows what’s going on in the world right now so they’ve made the mistake and they know that. Steven Gerrard has come out and said that he feels totally let down by them, and rightly so.

“When you consider that Bassey and Patterson have been in and around the first team for a number of months now, were on the verge of potentially being part of a title party, they’re four games away from winning the league – that’s not going to happen.

“The trust is well and truly gone with the youngsters now as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have to leave the football club, like Jones and Edmundson, to go and build up the trust of Rangers as a football club again. Whether that is Steven Gerrard or Rangers speaking to the clubs they go on loan to see if they have bucked up their ideas as such.

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Boyd also singled on-loan midfielder Zungu out for criticism, both for his form and for the breach, and suggested that the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Amiens star might well have played his final match for the club. 

“Zungu – I’d be very surprised if you see him in a Rangers jersey again,” the five-time Scottish Premiership Golden Boot winner added.

“He’s been a major disappointment since he’s came to the football club and this just tops it all off.”

Zungu, 28, has played 29 matches for Bafana Bafana. He represented the University of Pretoria and Mamelodi Sundowns before leaving South Africa to play for Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes.

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