Richards Bay footballer Siphamandla ‘Spepe’ Mtolo died on Tuesday morning, a statement from the PSL club confirmed. He was 29.
Siphamandla Mtolo dies: What’s the cause of death?
Shockwaves reverberated across social media when Richards Bay FC confirmed that Mtolo collapsed to his death during a training session on Tuesday morning.
“It is with deep sadness to announce that Richards Bay Football Club has untimely lost one of the midfielder, Siphamandla ‘Spepe’ Mtolo. He collapsed this morning during training,” the club statement read.
Details about Mtolo’s cause of death had yet to be revealed when this article was published.
“The club is not in a position to provide further information at this stage and ask that his family’s privacy is respected in this difficult time of bereavement,” the statement read.
Mtolo was involved in Richards Bay’s loss to Kaizer Chiefs this past weekend.
This is a developing story.
Siphamandla Mtolo biography
Siphamandla ‘Spepe’ Mtolo was a prominent South African footballer born on 28 November 1993.
Mtolo’s early rise in local football can be traced back to his roots in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where he grew up and made a name for himself in make-shift tournaments that attracted scouts from low-division clubs.
The star’s first prominent season as a professional footballer came when he signed for Uthongathi FC in the mid-2010s, and played an instrumental part in the club’s promotion to the National First Division (NFD) in the 2016/17 season.
However, the playmaker’s defensive capabilities, matched with his ability to create opportunities in the middle of the park attracted the attention of Richards Bay FC, who offered the star an irresistible offer to play in the PSL in 2020.
Richards Bay’s own ascension to South Africa’s top-flight was questionable, to say the least. Alas, Mtolo and the rest of the club played a crucial role in moulding the squad into Top Four contenders.
Following this past weekend’s result, Richards Bay FC occupy the sixth spot on the PSL log. However, uncertain times lie ahead for the club now that their playmaker is not available for selection.
Reactions to Mtolo’s death
News of Spepe’s death sent shockwaves across South Africa’s football sphere. Here are some of the reactions we picked out: