Rulani Mokwena played 'huge role' in Bongani Zungu joining Sundowns

“I don’t understand [why people are saying I can’t play with Jali] because we played together in the past at Bafana Bafana under coach Shakes Mashaba.”

Another central midfielder who is back in the reckoning to increase the intense competition at Sundowns is Rivaldo Coetzee, who has fully recovered from a hernia injury that kept him out of action for almost a year.

Zungu also revealed that he returned to Sundowns because of the influence of Mokwena who has been pushing the player at training in his mission to reach peak fitness.

“Actually, he played a huge role in bringing me to Sundowns because I had other options. I always tell coach Rulani that, 'You are always not happy' — he wants more and more from me and he told me that before he went to the media to say he was not happy with me.

“I know that he demands more and more from me and I just have to work extra hard and when I do get an opportunity to play I must just play and do what is expected of me.”