Johannesburg- Mamelodi Sundowns left-wing back Sifiso Stanley Ngobeni narrowly escaped death after being hijacked by a group of thugs impersonating police officers during a daring daylight robbery in Midrand on Tuesday.
Armed to the teeth with guns and wearing police bulletproof vests, the suspects also robbed the footie of his cellphone and expensive shoes, before driving with him in his car to Bekkersdal, South of Joburg.
They also withdrew cash from his bank account at a garage before he managed to escape in Bekkersdal and run for his life, barefoot.
The Sundowns player was then assisted by Good Samaritans who took him to Bekkersdal police station, where he opened a case of hijacking, robbery, and theft.
In a police statement seen by Sunday World, Ngobeni, who hails from Mamelodi in Tshwane, said he had been driving his Polo GTI with a personalized registration “NGOBS 2 GP” on Allandale Road from a training session at the club’s headquarters in Chloorkop, when unknown men in a white Toyota Corolla ordered him to stop.
The former Bloemfontein Celtic player said he refused to stop but the suspects drove on the left side of the road, forcing him to stop.
Ngobeni said the four armed men wearing police bulletproof vests approached him and told him that they were cops and were investigating a theft of a vehicle similar to his.
He said one of the suspects pointed a firearm at him while the other grabbed him, then threw him into the back seat and drove off.
“They blindfolded him with a mask and ordered him to lie down,” reads the statement.
“One drove the car and others searched his vehicle and then realized the victim is a player of Mamelodi football team.”
Ngobeni said as they were searching the car, they found his iPhone 8, which he bought for R3 000 and they took it.
“They were demanding cash and went to a garage and withdrew it,” reads the statement.
Ngobeni said although his daily limit was R20 000, he does not know how much exactly they withdrew from his account because at some stage they ordered him to increase his daily withdrawal limit on his bank account.
He said they were driving around with him when he realised that he was at a Bekkersdal transit camp.
That was when he jumped out of the car and ran.
He said he was taken to the police station by unknown people where he opened a case.
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