Bongani Khumalo facts for kids
Khumalo in Poland
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bongani Sandile Khumalo | ||
| Date of birth | 6 January 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Manzini, Swaziland | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ?–2005 | Arcadia Shepherds | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005–2007 | AmaTuks | 50 | (4) |
| 2007–2010 | SuperSport United | 81 | (8) |
| 2011–2015 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Preston North End (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Reading (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → PAOK (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 30 | (1) |
| 2015 | → Colchester United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | SuperSport United | 9 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Bidvest Wits | 43 | (3) |
| Total | 255 | (16) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008–2013 | South Africa | 42 | (1) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Bongani Sandile Khumalo, born on 6 January 1987, is a South African former professional footballer. He was a strong defender, known as a centre-back. Khumalo played for clubs like Bidvest Wits and was an important player for the South Africa national team.
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Early Life and Education
Bongani Khumalo was born in Manzini, Swaziland. When he was a baby, his family moved to Pretoria, South Africa. His father was a language lecturer at the University of South Africa, and his mother was a teacher.
While starting his football career, Khumalo also studied for a degree at the University of Pretoria. He later paused his studies when he moved to England to play football. Khumalo has said that his family was middle class and that he is an only child.
Club Football Career
Bongani Khumalo had an exciting career playing for several football clubs. He started in South Africa and later played in England and Greece.
Starting at University of Pretoria
Khumalo began his journey at the Arcadia Shepherds academy. In 2005, he joined the University of Pretoria football club. He played for two seasons in the National First Division, scoring four goals in 50 games.
His excellent performance caught the attention of bigger clubs. In 2007, he moved to SuperSport United.
Success with SuperSport United
At SuperSport United, Khumalo quickly became a key player. He was even named captain of the team. During his three seasons there, he helped the club win the South African Premier Division three times in a row.
He became the youngest player ever to lift the league title, at just 23 years old. SuperSport United had a special agreement with the English club Tottenham Hotspur. Because of this, Khumalo signed a deal in 2010 to join Tottenham Hotspur in January 2011.
Joining Tottenham Hotspur
On 26 October 2010, it was announced that Khumalo would move to Tottenham Hotspur. He had a successful trial in September and the transfer was completed on 7 January 2011.
Loan Spells Away from Tottenham
Even though he joined Tottenham Hotspur, Khumalo spent most of his time on loan to other clubs. This means he played for different teams temporarily.
- On 24 March 2011, he joined Preston North End in the Football League Championship. He played his first game for them on 2 April 2011.
- On 25 July 2011, he moved to Reading on a season-long loan. However, he didn't play many games there, and his loan ended early in February 2012.
- On 6 July 2012, Khumalo went on loan to the Greek club PAOK for one year.
- On 31 July 2013, he joined Doncaster Rovers for a season. He even scored a winning goal for them on 6 August in a cup game.
- On 14 March 2015, Khumalo joined Colchester United on loan for the rest of the season. He played ten games for them before returning to Tottenham.
Khumalo was released by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2014–15 season. He never played a competitive game for the club during his four and a half years there.
Returning to South Africa
After leaving Tottenham, Khumalo returned to South Africa. On 4 August 2015, he signed again with SuperSport United. He played 10 games for them before moving to another Premier Soccer League team, Bidvest Wits.
Retirement from Football
On 21 September 2021, Bongani Khumalo announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Playing for South Africa
Bongani Khumalo was an important player for the South Africa national team, often called Bafana Bafana.
He was part of the squad for the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, both held in South Africa. On 22 June 2010, he scored the first goal against France in the World Cup. South Africa won that game 2–1.
Khumalo was also the captain of the national team at the 2013 African Cup of Nations.
International Goals
Here is a list of the goals Bongani Khumalo scored for the South Africa national team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 June 2010 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa |  France |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
See also
In Spanish: Bongani Khumalo para niños
