Bongani Zungu set to become 10th South African footballer in India

Bongani Zungu is close to joining Malappuram FC, a move that would make the former Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu midfielder the 10th South African to play professional football in India.

According to SABC Sport, an agreement has been reached with the 33-year-old and Zungu is expected to complete his switch to the Super League Kerala club once the remaining formalities have been finalised.

The transfer would continue a relationship between South African football and India that has remained relatively limited over the past two decades. Although players from South Africa have developed established routes into Europe, North America and other parts of Africa, moves to India have been occasional rather than part of a sustained pattern.

Sydney Nkalanga was the first recorded South African player in the group, representing East Bengal and Fransa-Pax during the 2005-06 season.

Mbaka Bokembe Dady moved to India the following year with Mahindra United, while former Bafana Bafana international MacDonald Mukansi played for East Bengal in the 2007-08 I-League campaign.

The route into Indian football then went quiet for several years before Abdullah Hamza Amaba spent two seasons in the country. He played for HAL SC and Salgaocar between 2012 and 2014.

The development of the Indian Super League later gave the connection greater prominence. Sameehg Doutie became one of the best-known South Africans to make the move when he joined Atletico de Kolkata for the 2015-16 season. He returned to India for a second spell with Jamshedpur FC in 2017-18.

Sibongakonke Mbatha represented ATK during the 2017-18 campaign, followed by Lwandile Mzizi, who spent two years with RFC Kochi between 2018 and 2020.

Cole Alexander is the most recent South African to appear in the Indian Super League. The midfielder joined Odisha FC for the 2020-21 season after building substantial experience in the South African top flight.

William Twala took a different route into the Indian game in 2021, playing for Madan Maharaj FC in the I-League qualifiers and the second tier.

Zungu would now become the latest name on that list, and his arrival would arguably bring one of the most experienced South African imports to the Indian football system.

The midfielder has played in Portugal, France and Scotland. He left Sundowns for Vitoria Guimaraes in 2016, later joined Amiens and then spent time at Rangers under manager Steven Gerrard.

Zungu subsequently returned to Sundowns for a second spell before moving to AmaZulu. He became a free agent in May after the club and player agreed to end their relationship when his contract expired.

There had been interest in the midfielder from clubs in the Betway Premiership, but Zungu now appears poised to continue his career outside South Africa if the move to Malappuram FC is completed.