Parker slams Mokwena, Zungu & Sundowns over horror injury – ‘They sent me cheap flowers’

Bernard Parker has hit out at former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena and midfielder Bongani Zungu for showing no remorse when the latter broke his leg.

Parker suffered a fractured leg following a tackle from Zungu during a Carling Knockout game between TS Galaxy and Sundowns, keeping him out of action for months.

While he was in hospital following his surgery, Parker says he was visited by several people from the football fraternity but not from Sundowns, who had contributed to his woes.

He claims Mokwena lied to the public that he had visited him in hospital and that Zungu sought an apology from him via social media but never replied to him once he responded.

“When I lifted my leg, it was doing this (hand gesture showing a broken limb). While my leg was doing that, the person was performing and yappering and yappering over me, looking at how my leg was swinging from side to side,” Parker told Smash Sports.

Parker disappointed by Zungu’s reaction

“That happened and I forgave him. It was when I woke up in the hospital because they had to numb me and put me to sleep that evening. Late in that evening, I got an Instagram DM (direct message) from Bongani, saying If I can forgive him.

“I said ‘Sharp, I forgive you’. He did not even give a thumbs up or a heart or anything, or a wishing me well for your recovery… nothing. He read it and he just left it. I still have the screenshot for that message,” he said.

Parker says a Sundowns team manager is the one who visited him and sent him some ‘cheap’ flowers which he does not consider to be a proper way of saying sorry from the PSL champions.

“Everybody visited me in the hospital but not even one Sundowns representative could come and see me in the hospital.  [ I received flowers but] it wasn’t coach Rulani (Mokwena), it was the manager who sent flowers,” he added.

Ex-Chiefs star slams Sundowns over ‘cheap’ flowers

🟢 Bernard Parker recalls his time on the hospital bed after a horror tackle that almost ended his career.

All I got was "cheap flowers, no chocolate," he says.
EPISODE OUT NOW. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/f7VuXUPrUc

— Mazola J. Molefe (@superjourno) October 16, 2025

“Those cheap R350 flowers, to be honest. Not even R500 flowers. There was no chocolate. Rhulani lied on a public platform to say that he sent me a text message – he never sent me a text message. He never called me.

“After I got out of the hospital during my rehab, I still never got an apology from Bongani Zungu or whoever from Sundowns.”

Parker went on to say that he was advised to seek an audience with Sundowns to get closure over the issue but he abandoned it once he knew he would not make headway.

How did Parker get closure over horror injury?

“I already forgave him, then my mentor and my life coach, Mr Charlie Peterson said if I can go to him and see him, the person who injured me and have a talk with him,” he said.

“Maybe I will heal and ask how they can dare do this and not show face or any remorse or at least call me or find my number or something.

“We tried to do that and as I went to Bongani’s Instagram, it said what-what user (user not found). I could not find the guy. Then I got upset, then Mr Peterson said we can go to Chloorkop and have tea, I said no, why should I run after him because I can heal on my own.”