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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena has lifted the lid on how the incident involving midfielder Bongani Zungu and TS Galaxy striker Bernard Parker was handled internally by the club.
The football community has been calling for Zungu to publicly apologise for a gruesome tackle that left Parker with two broken bones on his leg during their Carling Knockout Cup opening round fixture last week Wednesday. Zungu was immediately issued a red card in a game Galaxy won on penalties at Mbombela Stadium.
Speaking exclusively on Metro FM’s Sports Night Amplified with host Andile Ncube, Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi subsequently accused Zungu of deliberately trying to injure Parker with his challenge and claimed - at the time - he had not heard from the player or received proof the midfielder had apologised.
But a week later, Sundowns coach Mokwena has given their side of the story.
“On behalf of the football club in its entirety, Bongani Zungu in particular, we wish Bernard a speedy recovery. You don’t ever want to see a football player getting injured, especially like that. For sure, that has to be the starting point,” Mokwena said during his own interview on the show on Wednesday night.
“I tried to call Bernard myself and I couldn’t get hold of him. I sent him a text wishing him well and I arranged a get-well package, personally, to show remorse, but also to say we are with him and we understand", he claimed.
"I have had a conversation with Bongani and have seen how dejected and affected he has been. He is not a malicious person or a player that would go out to intentionally harm or maybe even compromise the career of another footballer because he’s been on the receiving side of something similar."
The Sundowns coach insists Zungu has also made attempts to speak to Parker.
“I know for a fact he’s tried to reach out to Bernard, even to a point where I have instructed him during our hectic schedule to try to pay a visit to Bernard and show remorse. What did surprise me was how it was overexaggerated.
"I have seen so many incidents [over the years]. We don’t have the benefit of being in Bongani’s shoes, I am not condoning the tackle – we are not those types of people. I think the personal attacks on Bongani Zungu were a little bit unfair.”
