The first episode of the docuseries, which aired on DStv’s Mzansi Magic, gave Mzansi a glimpse into the life of Khumalo, arguably the most well-known football player in the country.
Khumalo, the hero of South African football in the 1990s, was the subject of fascinating new information.
Khumalo became one of the most well-known South Africans due to his outstanding performances on and off the field.
Like his contribution to football, his story was told by friends, family, journalists, politicians, former teammates, opponents, coaches, administrators, and the man himself.
-Here are ten quick facts about Dr. Khumalo.
1. DOCTOR KHUMALO TRIED BOXING;
Khumalo tried boxing before becoming a professional, but he got a blue eye. During a sparring match, he was battered and bruised. Eliakim Pro Khumalo, his strict father, forbade him from ever entering the ring. Khumalo disclosed to this writer in 2012 that he and his peers used to participate in road running with the late legendary Baby Jake Matlala, a resident of his neighborhood.
2. PLAYED FOR MOROKA SWALLOWS:
Khumalo used to go to the games with his father, a former Swallows and Chiefs player, who is from Dube, the home of Moroka Swallows. During recess and full time, he would demonstrate his dribbling and juggling abilities. David Pine Chabeli, the Swallows’ manager, had the idea to put together a team for under-14s, giving 16V a taste of playing for a big team.
3. He was wanted by the Orlando Pirates:
He was on the verge of being signed by the Pirates at one point. Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung took a taxi from Brits, where a football tournament was being held, to Johannesburg to inform his father, Kaizer Motaung, about the Pirates’ scheme to sign the young star. Officials from the Pirates showed up at Khumalo’s house at 11 p.m. on the day that he signed a professional contract with the Chiefs.
4. OMMITTED FROM BAFANA’S FIRST SQUAD:
Khumalo was initially left out of the team that South Africa coach Jeff Butler announced for its first international match in 1992. Following Steward’s preclusion and a wonderful showcase in the training match, Khumalo took care of business and impacted the world forever by scoring the country’s very first objective in global football. In the game against Cameroon at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, he only converted one penalty.
5. WANTED TO BAIL OUT OF DEBUT AGAINST PIRATES
Khumalo uncovered that he was apprehensive to the point that he needed to run away from the area not long before Bosses confronted Privateers at Ellispark Arena in 1987. According to Khumalo, he desired to enter the dressing room, where he intended to remove his playing boots and equipment. Ace Ntsoelengoe, the Chiefs’ master, however, informed him that he was going nowhere. Khumalo had a blinder of a game when his plan to catch a taxi home was foiled.
6. MUGGED EN ROUTE TO TRAINING
Khumalo had to walk a lot and figure out how to get around some of Soweto’s notorious streets. He was robbed one day by ten men who took his training supplies. He yelled at them, “You are going to pay to watch me play at Orlando Stadium one day.”
7.A LADIES MAN;
Khumalo was a woman’s best friend because of his stunning skills and attractive appearance. Women used to hog him at soccer games because he was so popular with them. At stadiums where fans would flock to the field, teammates and staff had to drag him away from crowds of people of a lighter sex. His family’s Dube home would occasionally be visited by uninvited women. Sphithiphithi’s mother, Mable, and sister, Fezile, had to evaluate him.
8. A FAN AND A PLAYER:
Khumalo was still in high school when he went pro. He supported the Chiefs and played for them at the same time. During school hours, Khumalo would engage in supporter-style debates and then attend practice with the players he and his friends were debating. He admitted to being one of the school’s loudspeakers.
9. RAISED BY DISCIPLINARIANS
Doctor and his sister Fezile were ordered home by Khumalo’s parents at 6 p.m. When the doctor came back after the curfew, the footballer and his sister frequently played one-two to dribble their parents. After hours, Fezile would sneak her brother in.
10. A Star from birth ;
Khumalo was selected as one of three primary school students to appear in a Barkers Eat Some More television commercial. His first appearance on TV was that one.