RANGERS target Bongani Zungu has revealed how he once cheated death in a terrifying carjacking incident in his South African homeland.
The Ibrox side are closing in on the £3.5million signing of the 27-year-old Amiens midfielder, who looks set to be Steven Gerrard’s latest capture ahead of Saturday’s big kick off at Aberdeen.
Bongani Zungu is expected to join Rangers this week in a £3.5m dealCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
But Zungu told how he could have been gunned down in cold blood right outside his family’s home in Duduza, South Africa.
He said: “What happened was I was driving…and the funny thing is this happened right in front of my parents’ house, like at the gate.
“So I was taking my young brother home and two guys in a car came and they started shooting. I told my younger brother to open the door and run. He ran, and I had to come out. It was just a crazy moment.
“But fortunately, I just told them to take the car and leave, so that’s what happened. That’s where I come from, these things happen a lot.
Zungu is believed to have chosen Rangers over Celta VigoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“But that situation also helped me mentally, because now I’m more careful when I’m driving.
“You need to be sure, you need to check what’s going on and stuff. So after all that, I picked myself up, I said to myself, ‘Okay, the positive thing is that nothing bad really happened, they just took the car.’ It taught me how to be careful.
“I guess it’s important to take lessons from all of these difficulties. I can’t even imagine experiencing something like that and taking it in your stride.
“So football kind of helps me. Like, I switch off from the problems of the world and what’s happening when I play football, despite all that has happened.
“Every time when I’m training or I’m on the pitch, I know how to adjust and perform.”
I was taking my young brother home and two guys in a car came and they started shooting.
Bongani Zungu
Zungu has gone on to become one of his country’s top stars and he revealed that he has modelled his career on former Barcelona and Manchester City hero Toure after admitting he studied the veteran Ivory Coast star closely.
Zungu said: “Growing up, I looked up to Yaya Toure. I used to watch a lot of his games.
“I watched him at Barcelona back in the day, and then when he was at Manchester City, even when I became a professional football player because I’m the type of player that invests a lot of time in football.
“I watch what top midfielders do, or if they have books or documentaries or anything like that. So I can say Yaya Toure was the biggest influence.
“He was very influential in terms of when he was on the pitch and the things he did.
“When I was younger, I basically played in every position.
“When I made my debut in the South African second division for Dynamos I was a No.10 and then I went to the Premier League and played in the same position for Tuks.
“It was only when I was at Mamelodi Sundowns, that they moved me to a holding midfielder role.
“There are a lot of players whose manager decides what position they play in. Perhaps I will see myself as an attacking midfielder, but he wants me as a defensive midfielder.
“So I read about Yaya because that was what happened to him and learned all about how it impacted him as a player because it’s difficult to make that change.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
