Toxic Friends, Drug Usage Led to JDR Stars and Former Mamelodi Sundowns Player Khayelihle Shozi's Troubles

• Bad influences led to JDR player Khayelihle Shozi's troubles, which culminated in him going missing
• The former Mamelodi Sundowns had been missing since October 2022, the second such time he had been lost
• He was booked into a psychiatric hospital, with a family spokesperson saying that he would be placed in their care after his assessment

Bad company and stress is the reason behind Khayelihle Shozi’s shocking behaviour which saw him being reported missing and being seen around the streets of Johannesburg walking around as a beggar on drugs, says a source close to the former Mamelodi Sundowns development player.

Videos of Shozi looking like someone who was homeless circulated throughout social media platforms in January 2022. He was then spotted in the Vaal in a similar condition recently. The midfielder, who last played for JDR Stars in the GladAfrica Championship, is reported to be back home and has told his family that people he thought were his friends, introduced him to drugs and when he couldn’t cope they didn’t help him.

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A source told the City Press:

“Shozi is back home in KwaZulu-Natal, he is recovering well and has all the support that he needs. He has been speaking about the things that led him to doing drugs and the guys he thought were his friends are the ones who got him to take drugs.

“It’s shocking because these guys don’t even play football, I don’t know how he became friends with them, it’s really worrying. I really hope that when he is fully recovered he won’t be going back to his old self and doing drugs.”

For anyone who might be suffering from the effects of mental illness, or is aware of anyone else struggling, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group can be contacted on +27 (0)80 056 7567 or +27 (0)11 234 4837.

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Troubled Mamelodi Sundowns player Khayelihle Shozi admitted to psychiatric facility after going missing twice

Help has come at last for the unfortunate JDR Stars player Khayelihle Shozi.

According to Sports Brief, Shozi was found a few days ago after having been missing since October last year.

This was the second time he had been unaccounted for, with his struggles being attributed to mental illness.

Family spokesperson Simphiwe Shozi said that he would be moved to KwaZulu-Natal after being assessed and cleared to be in their care.