[1] Bukal was born in the village of Okešinec near Ivanić-Grad where he started his primary education, before moving to Veliki Crljeni in Serbia for the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade.
[2] Bukal's involvement with football began with the youth team of local club Željezničar.
Bukal is the joint highest goalscorer in the history of the club, alongside Dželaludin Muharemović.
[2] Bukal played for the junior and Under-21 team before he made his senior debut for Yugoslavia in an October 1966 friendly match against Israel in which he immediately scored a brace.
He first worked with the youth squads, but was also an assistant manager to Blagoje Bratić in the 1987–88 season.