A look at Doctor Khumalo's historic career

One of the greats is Theophilus Khumalo, better known to his fans as Doctor Khumalo.

The 56-year-old former professional midfielder is best known for his tenure with the Kaizer Chiefs, from 1987 to 2004.

While he hasn’t played professionally since 2002, it’s worthwhile for any soccer fan to take a look back at Khumalo’s inspiring career.

Early years

Had betting sites in South Africa existed during the peak of Khumalo’s career, he would have been everyone’s safe bet with his consistently brilliant performances. He was a constant presence on the likes of SABC Sport and similar channels.

However, let’s take a trip down memory lane to 1984, when a young Khumalo had just started his career with the Moroka Swallows.

With a professional soccer player father mentoring him, it wasn’t long until he had joined the Kaizer Chiefs junior team. After being caught starting a game against the team’s arch rivals, the Orlando Pirates, the following year, Khumalo was promoted to the senior team.

Club years

Once he became a member of the senior Kaizer Chiefs team, Khumalo never played for any other South African soccer club. He had short stints with Ferro Carril Oeste in Argentina and Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew in the mid-90s.

The 1990s weren’t only a time when Khumalo was testing the international waters but he was also at the peak of his professional career.

He led the team to victory with three South African league championship titles as well as five knockout trophies. It was around this time that he was voted South African Footballer of the Year.

By the time he retired from the Kaizer Chiefs, he’d played 397 games and scored a grand total of 75 goals.

International

South Africa had not been a part of FIFA for decades due to apartheid sanctions, so it was all systems go in 1992 when they were re-admitted.

Khumalo was selected to join the South African national squad that same year for their inaugural match against Cameroon. South Africa ended up winning the match, thanks to a penalty scored by none other than the legend himself.

He was also a part of the squad for the 1996 African Cup of Nations, 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup and 1998 FIFA World Cup.

During this era in Khumalo’s career, he played for South Africa 50 times and scored nine goals, making him one of the country most-capped players – 13, to be precise.

After almost a decade of international achievements, he officially retired from the international arena in 2001.

Retirement and coaching

After his club retirement the following year, Khumalo served as co-coach for his beloved Kaizer Chiefs, leading them to an unbeaten streak between 2002 and 2004.

Thereafter, he went back to his roots, being named the national coach for the under-17 team, and was also invited to be a TV sports commentator.

Following an illustrious career in the spotlight, Doctor Khumalo has taken a step back from the public eye, enjoying a quieter life with his wife and family.

He is still revered as a national hero by many, with South African TV network Mzansi Magic airing a docuseries celebrating his achievements in late 2022, showing the world his story is far from over.