Charles Yohane dead: Ex-Zimbabwe star, 48, 'shot and killed by carjackers'
Yohane was once a regular for the Zimbabwe national team and represented them at major tournaments but was tragically killed while working as a taxi driver in South Africa
Former Zimbabwe international Charles Yohane has been shot dead by alleged armed carjackers while working as a taxi driver in South Africa.
The defender made 23 appearances for his national side and even featured for the Warriors at their Africa Cup of Nations debut back in 2004.
He also played a bit-part role in their 2006 efforts before retiring from international football in 2007.
Yohane had enjoyed nine seasons with South African titans Bidvest Wits and even broke their club appearance record in the process.
The ex-left-back starred 268 times for the club between 1997 and 2006 and skippered the club for the bulk of his time there.
The peak of his international career came in 1996 when he had established himself as the first-choice left-back in the national side while playing his club football for Harare-based side CAPS United.
Once he'd called time on his playing career, Yohane transitioned into a coaching role with the club he spent years with before they dissolved during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Prior to his death, Yohane had been working as a taxi driver with ride-sharing company Bolt.
Though his body was not discovered until Monday, it is thought that Yohane was actually the victim of an attack from armed carjackers in Soweto.
READ MORE: FIFA president Gianni Infantino left with egg on his face after AFCON trophy farceREAD MORE: Police officer found dead as he awaited trial for assaulting football fan with baton"He was hijacked, they took his car and shot him in the head," his brother Lewis explained to BBC Sport.
Tributes have since flooded in for Yohane, with former teammate and good friend Innocent Chikoya claiming: "He wasn't a friend, he was a brother, and we have lost him in bad circumstances.
"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."
Another former teammate in Edelbert Dinha, who shared the Zimbabwe dressing room with Yohane, told the BBC : "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."
Yohane is the second member of the 2004 Zimbabwe Africa Cup of Nations squad to die after striker Adam Ndlovu died under tragic circumstances in December 2012.
The former Warriors international died after a tyre on his car burst while he was driving, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and plough into a tree.
His brother Peter also made 100 appearances for the national side and was critically injured in the same accident.