Doctor Khumalo was born and raised in Soweto. He grew to become one of the best footballers from South Africa. The legendary midfielder was an outstanding player for Kaizer Chiefs and the South African national team. He rose to fame thanks to his incredible skills and years of experience.

Doctor Khumalo's age — Doctor Khumalo during the special screening of 16V Doctor Khumalo Untold at Langhams Estate on 2 October 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The four-part weekly docuseries tells the story of the football legend. Photo: Oupa Bopape
Source: Getty Images

The former Bafana star spent 17 years with Kaizer Chiefs, including loan spells at Ferro Carril Oeste and Columbus Crew. He retired in 2004 to focus on training and mentoring young talents. This article highlights the former footballer's background, family, career history, and net worth.

Doctor Khumalo's profile

Full name	Theophilus Doctorson Khumalo
Known as	Doctor Khumalo
Date of birth	26 June 1967
Age	56 (November 2023)
Place of birth	Soweto, South Africa
Nationality	South African
Education	University of the Witwatersrand
Occupation	Former footballer
Date of retirement	July 2002
Parents	Eliakim and Mme Mabel Khumalo
Ex-wife	Blanche Garises
Children	Theonada Livin, Diego, Carl, Troy
Net worth	$5 million
Social media	Instagram, X (Twitter)

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Football

How old is Doctor Khumalo?

Doctor Khumalo's age is 56 (as of November 2023). He was born and raised in Soweto, South Africa. The former midfielder loved football at a young age. He worked hard and rose through the ranks in his career, becoming one of the most accomplished African players.

Is Doctor Khumalo a real doctor?

How old is Doctor Khumalo? — Doctor Khumalo was a talented midfielder who bossed the midfield during his career. He played for South Africa's Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs before moving to Argentina and MLS. Photo: Matthew Ashton, Mark Thompson (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The South African legend is not a doctor but a retired professional footballer. His real name is Theophilus Doctorson Khumalo. People nicknamed him 'doctor' from his name 'Doctorson.'

Doctor Khumalo and his family

Theophilus was born to Eliakim 'Pro' Khumalo and Mme Mabel. Eliakim is one of the founder members of Kaizer Chiefs. Doctor Khumalo's father was shot dead during a car-jacking outside his home in Soweto in August 1996. He died at 56 when his son Khumalo played in the United States for the Columbus Crew.

Eliakim, also known as 'Pro,' played football for Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs during the 60s and 70s. He was one of the best full-backs in the country. He was the head of the youth development at Kaizer Chiefs during his death. His wife, Mme Mabel, died in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Boxing

Is Doctor Khumalo married?

The Kaizer Chiefs legend married Air Namibia hostess Blanche Garises in 2007. Blanche was born and raised in Windhoek, Namibia. The couple built a family together with four children. However, after eight years of relationship, Doctor Khumalo's wife filed for divorce.

"I felt lonely and miserable . Neither of us cheated on the other but I was like a prisoner in the marriage. I've been nothing but loyal to Doctor. Our love just died," Blanche Garises said.

Doctor Khumalo's sons and daughter

Doctorson had four children, three sons, and a daughter. His sons are Diego, Theonada Livin, Troy Khumalo, and his daughter, Carl, who died in 2017. So, what happened to Doctor Khumalo's daughter?

Carl passed away in a hospital on 12 July 2017 following an accident on her way home after having dinner. She died at 25.

Doctor Khumalo' career

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Doctor Khumalo's net worth — Doctor Khumalo nurtured his football talent at Kaizer Chiefs, where he became a legend. He has inspired generations of players in South Africa. Photo: Ben Radford, Stephen Dunn (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The African legend followed in his father's footsteps by playing football for Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana. He ranked among the best midfielder of his generation. Khumalo's favourite jersey number was 15. Which team did Doctor Khumalo play for before Kaizer Chiefs?

Doctorson began his football journey with Swallows Reserves in 1984. He spent a year with the Swallows, then joined Kaizer Chiefs junior team in 1986. The former midfielder became a household name during his time at Chiefs. He was known for his play-making skills and ball control.

The former Chiefs star debuted for the club in 1987, at 17, coming on as a substitute against arch-rivals Orlando Pirates. He scored around 90 goals in 397 matches at Kaizer Chiefs.

Did Doctor Khumalo play overseas?

Khumalo left his country in 1995 to join Argentina's Ferro Carril Oeste on loan in 1995. He also played for the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer (MLS) on loan in 1996 and 1997. The legendary midfielder retired in 2002 but continued as a player-coach for Kaizer Chiefs during the 2002-03 season before retiring in 2004.

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Football

International career

Eliakim's son was among the people who advocated for South Africa's readmission to FIFA in 1992. He was part of the squad that beat Cameroon 1-0 in their first competitive match since returning to world football after a 16-year ban.

Doctorson produced a memorable performance against Brazil in the 1996 Mandela Cup. He scored and assisted Phil Masinga as Bafana Bafana went 2-0 up at halftime. Unfortunately, Brazil responded with three goals from Rivaldo, Flávio Conceiçã, and Bebeto in the second half to win 3-2.

The former midfielder finished his international career with nine goals in 50 matches. He also served as captain of the national team twice.

How many trophies did Doctor Khumalo win?

The father of three boys lifted three South African league championship titles and five knockout trophies while at Kaizer Chiefs. He also won the South African Footballer of the Year award in 1992.

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Football

Where is Doctor Khumalo now?

Is Doctor Khumalo still alive? — Doctor Khumalo walks in as the audience cheers him during the special screening of his series, 16V Doctor Khumalo Untold, at Langhams Estate on 2 October 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo: Oupa Bopape
Source: Getty Images

Doctor Khumalo is still alive and lives in Soweto with his family. He was a football analyst and TV broadcaster before managing South Africa's under-17 side. The Chiefs legend has multiple coaching certifications, including the FA License, UEFA B License, and SAFA Level 1-3 License.

Khumalo served as Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach during the 2015-16 season and Baroka FC technical director in 2017. He has coached and mentored upcoming South African stars.

How much was Doctor Khumalo's salary?

The Bafana Bafana legend revealed he used to earn $437.4 a month when he first signed for Kaizer Chiefs as a teenager in 1984. He also used to make $164 as prize money. Khumalo credited his parents for giving him financial advice as a young athlete.

"I have to say I am grateful to my parents for guiding me to the path that I was on from when I joined Chiefs at 16 and even today. I was getting R8000 a month and you can imagine how much money that was back then," Khumalo said.

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Football

Doctor Khumalo's net worth

The 1992 South African footballer of the year has a net worth of around $5 million as of 2023. He made his wealth from his illustrious football career as a player and coach.

The former midfielder has a verified Instagram account with 65.6k followers as of November 2023. His X (Twitter) account has 36.8k followers.

Doctor Khumalo is a living football legend who has inspired many generations of footballers. He starred in the German/South African film Themba (2010) as a coach of the Under-21s.

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