South African football legend and former Bafana Bafana coach, Shakes Mashaba, has been hospitalized due to a suspected bladder infection.

The 74-year-old, who has been a prominent figure in South African football, was admitted to Helen Joseph Hospital in Auckland Park after experiencing severe difficulty urinating.

Speaking on behalf of the Mashaba family, Sithembele Khala shared details about his condition during an interview with Radio 2000.

According to Khala, Mashaba was in critical condition when he was admitted on January 27. “He was very bad.

His tongue was swollen, making it difficult for him to breathe. The level of care has been concerning.

Since it’s a public hospital, there are challenges.

For the first day or two, the coach didn’t even see a doctor,” Khala revealed.

Delays in Treatment Raise Concerns

Mashaba’s condition required the insertion of a catheter, but complications arose when it was time for its removal.

Khala explained that after the catheter was removed, Mashaba struggled to urinate again, leading to further complications.

“When he finally saw a doctor, he was only given a half diagnosis.

They inserted a catheter, but when it was time to remove it, the doctor was nowhere to be found.

An hour later, he faced more issues and still couldn’t pee,” Khala added.

A Storied Career in South African Football

Shakes Mashaba has had an illustrious career in South African football, both as a player and a coach.

He enjoyed two separate stints as the head coach of Bafana Bafana, with his second tenure seeing the national team qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations without losing a match.

With an impressive 55% win ratio, securing 32 victories in 58 games, his contributions to the sport are undeniable.

Although Mashaba has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, he made headlines in 2022 when he unexpectedly stormed into the SAFA elective congress.

Last year, his impact on South African football was recognized when he was inducted into the South African Hall of Fame.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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