Former Orlando Pirates star Thandani Ntshumayelo has opened up about the downward spiral he went on after being handed a harsh four-year drugs ban back in 2016.
After impressing in the colours of SuperSport United and making his bow on the international stage at just 21, Ntshumayelo’s career was on the up.
And when he secured a big move to reigning champions Orlando Pirates halfway through the 2011/12 season, it seemed like he was going from strength to strength, and South Africa was about to witness an amazing career.
In the colours of Pirates, Ntshumayelo continued to shine and earned two more caps for Bafana Bafana.
Get your news on the go, click here to join the News WhatsApp channel.
However, in 2016, everything came crashing down for the Free State-born midfielder when he failed a drugs test. Ntshumayelo’s drug of choice was cocaine. As a result, he was handed a hefty four-year ban from the sport.
In 2018, he saw the ban reduced to just two years on appeal, meaning he would be able to return to the football pitch again in 2019.
He signed for Baroka FC in 2019, but was not the same player. He was released after one season and spent two years without a club. He eventually retired from the game in 2023 after a brief spell with Swallows turned sour.
Speaking to the Apex Sports International podcast, Ntshumayelo detailed how his life spiralled out of control.
“Immediately after… I called the dealer and ordered. I got whatever I needed to get and went straight to the hotel and stayed there for a few days. I was just waiting for an announcement.
“I was not even thinking about the country (reaction-wise), I was thinking about my mother and father, and I left my girlfriend at home pregnant. I was not even thinking about losing the house or whatever – I was thinking about [my parents and pregnant partner].”
And just last year, a year after retiring from the game, Ntshumayelo found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was arrested and accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
“I was arrested for assault. I pushed this lady and then she called the police, and I was arrested. That is when I realised that now I need help because I was not even scared of the police. I was getting aggressive, I was short-tempered. I just could not accept that this is me.
“After I went to prison, while in the cell – I went there on Friday [and spent] Saturday and Sunday. When I looked inside the cell, I thought it was better to die once because I was embarrassing my family again.”
In September last year, all charges against the former Orlando Pirates star were withdrawn in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court. Nowadays, the 35-year-old can be seen regularly co-hosting the Trap and Pass podcast on YouTube.
Sport
