Ex-international footballer ‘shot in the head’ and killed while working as taxi driver

Posted Thursday, February 17, 2022 by Thesun.co.uk

Charles Yohane, who represented Zimbabwe at two different Africa Cup of Nations, has been shot and killed in South Africa after working as a taxi driver when he hung up his boots

Former international footballer Charles Yohane, 48, has been killed in an apparent car-jacking incident.

Yohane was part of the Zimbabwe squad for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, but they were dumped out in the group stage on both occasions.

His club career had been in Africa, however, after retiring Yohane had been working as a taxi driver and a football coach in Johannesburg.

Yohane's body was found in Soweto on Monday, but it is believed he died on Saturday night.

"He was hijacked, they took his car and shot him in the head," his brother Lewis told BBC Sport.

Tributes have already started to flood in for the former player from his team-mates.

Yohane has been shot and killed

"He wasn't a friend, he was a brother, and we have lost him in bad circumstances," Innocent Chikoya, who played with at Fire Batteries, told the BBC.

Chikoya and Yohane had formed a close friendship while they were team-mates and added: "He was clever, an intelligent footballer, he had ways of getting things done. He was a leader, disciplined and dedicated.

"I will be collecting his body from the funeral parlour on Thursday and will be taking him home."

Ex-international footballer ‘shot in the head’ and killed while working as taxi driver
Yohane played at two Africa Cup of Nations

His former Zimbabwean team-mate at the 2006 AFCON, Edelbert Dinha, added: "We tried calling him from Saturday up to Monday, and we couldn't reach him.

"Then I went to the police station.

"Charles was a quiet person, always smiling, he never argued with anyone. He was coaching Leruma United FC in the ABC Motsepe League."