Bongani Zungu talks about being ignored by Broos with Bafana Bafana | OneFootball

Bongani Zungu seems unhappy with his situation with the national team under the management of Belgian Broos.

Bongani Zungu talks about being ignored by Broos with Bafana Bafana

The hollow echo of unanswered questions lingers around Bongani Zungu's international exile as the AmaZulu midfielder breaks his silence on being frozen out of Bafana Bafana since Hugo Broos' 2021 appointment.

When the Belgian tactician arrived after Molefi Ntseki's failed AFCON qualification campaign, he wielded his axe mercilessly - dismantling the old guard to build around youth. The purge claimed high-profile casualties: captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, midfield stalwart Andile Jali, and crucially, Zungu himself - then at the zenith of his European career with Rangers.

Ironically, Zungu's exclusion came during his prime years, having just completed a high-profile loan spell in Scotland before returning to Amiens SC. Now 31, the seasoned campaigner watches from the sidelines as Broos' young charges prepare for future tournaments, his international future hanging in the balance despite showing flashes of his old self in Durban.

What Bongani Zungu had to say about Hugo Broos!

In a revealing conversation with FARPost, Bongani Zungu displayed remarkable perspective about his prolonged absence from Bafana Bafana, framing his exclusion as part of football's natural cycles rather than a personal vendetta.

"The coach has every right to build his own team," the AmaZulu midfielder reflected, his tone measured. "When we first broke into the national setup, we replaced others too. That's just how football works."

What makes Zungu's situation particularly striking is the complete absence of communication from Broos - no explanatory phone call, no face-to-face meeting, not even a passing conversation. Yet the 31-year-old refuses to harbor bitterness.

"I support the boys doing well," he insists, though a quiet hope lingers in his admission that a recall would be "nice." His mature outlook reflects a player who's seen football's highs and lows - from Rangers' Europa League nights to now fighting for continental qualification with AmaZulu.

Zungu's story becomes not just about selection politics, but about how veterans navigate their twilight years when national team doors appear closed.