Over a month has passed since former Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Thando Mngomeni was last seen, prompting urgent appeals from his family and growing concern from South Africa’s football community.
Mngomeni, now 42, was last seen in mid-June, and has not made contact with family or friends since.
His sudden disappearance has sparked widespread anxiety and a nationwide search effort.
His brother, Thabo Mngomeni, a former Orlando Pirates midfielder, and other family members have called on the public to help trace the missing footballer.
Their fears were compounded this week following the death of Zanyiwe Martins, a person close to Thando, who the family believes he would have made every effort to see if he could.
In a Facebook post, family friend Mark Totoyi wrote: “Family and friends are deeply concerned as Thando Mngomeni has been missing for almost a month now… We are appealing to anyone who might have seen him or has any information about his whereabouts to please urgently reach out to the family. Your assistance could help us bring Thando home safely.”
Shared widely
The post has since been widely shared across social media as the search intensifies, with former team-mates and supporters joining the call for information.
Despite a few leads being pursued, there have been no confirmed sightings of Mngomeni, and the silence surrounding his whereabouts is growing increasingly distressing.
The Mngomeni family have requested that anyone with information to please come forward, no matter how minor it may seem.
More about Thando Mngomeni
He hails from Gugulethu on the Cape Flats and is the younger brother of former Orlando Pirates player and South African international Thabo Mngomeni.
Mngomeni spent a season and a half in Sweden with Helsingborgs IF and made 29 appearances before returning to South Africa claiming he could not cope living abroad.
He returned to Santos after semi-retirement and impressed with some good performances during the 2007/08 season.
He signed for Mamelodi Sundowns (16 matches) and moved to Bidvest Wits (43 matches) after a year and half.
He played five matches for Bafana Bafana between 2004 and 2007.
Do you recall watching Thando Mngomeni in action?
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