SA footie legend John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu fighting for dear life in hospital
By Kgomotso Moganedi
SOUTH AFRICA – Legendary South African football star, John “Shoes” Moshoeu, is fighting for his life! The former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs legend (49) is lying gravely ill in the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, in Johannesburg.
Sunday Sun understands that Shoes was admitted to the public hospital three weeks ago and is in a critical condition. The SunTeam’s attempts to visit him were blocked by strict security personnel who are guarding him in a private ward.
Shoes is said to be so ill that he cannot do things for himself. When the SunTeam arrived at the ward, the security guard said only two visitors are allowed per day.
“Right now, his mum and his partner are with him,” said guards who wished not to be named.
But the SunTeam contacted Shoes’s mum, Reena Moshoeu, and she poured her heart out.
Reena said: “For the past few months he’s been going from one private hospital to another – until his medical aid got exhausted.
“He was brought into this hospital by Yvonne Chaka Chaka’s husband. He was supposed to be taken to theatre for an operation. But that hasn’t happened yet. My son hasn’t eaten anything in days,” a worried Reena said.
On Friday Shoes’s mum said: “We’re still waiting for the doctors to tell us what’s wrong with him. We visited him and came back without talking to him because he’s in the high care facility of the hospital. We have faith that things will be fine after this operation.”
Sunday Sun is in possession of a video that was shot while Shoes was waiting at the hospital’s dispensary last year. The video shows the former soccer hero who had lost some weight and looked a bit frail.
His mum added: “In God we have faith that he’ll recover from what he’s suffering from. And we can’t allow anyone outside the family to see him in such a state.”
Not so long ago, Shoes was muscular and as fit as a fiddle. At 42, he defied his age and would speed past players half his age with ease in the colours of Amakhosi. Unlike many PSL players, Shoes retired well over the age of 40. But it will surprise both his friends and fans that today, he is helpless, and that he is a pale shade of his former self.
Shoes spent a decade plying his trade in Europe for Turkey’s top teams including Fenerbahce, Genclerbirligi and Bursaspor where he would have earned lots of cash. But it will surprise many that he doesn’t seem to have funds reserved to provide for his healthcare needs. Sunday Sun (SA)
