Soccer legend Neil Tovey suffers heart attack in Durban
South African football great, Neil Tovey, is in a critical condition in a Durban hospital after suffering a heart attack earlier today.
The South African Football Association (Safa) made the announcement on their website this evening.
Former Bafana Bafana captain Tovey currently serves as Safa's Technical Director.
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His brother Mark Tovey confirmed the incident, saying the 54-year-old had been in training when he went into cardiac arrest.
"He suffered a heart attack while training this afternoon (Sunday, 16 October 2016) and was rushed to hospital. We await the doctor’s report and the next few hours are going to be critical," Mark said.
"We await the doctor's report and the next few hours are going to be critical," he added.
Safa President Danny Jordaan wished Tovey a speedy recovery, saying he was shocked to hear about the occurrence.
Social media has been abuzz with well-wishes for Tovey, since news of his condition broke.
Quick recovery to former Bafana Bafana captain and SAFA Technical Director Neil Tovey who has suffered a heart attack. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/36AjLpSdB6
— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) October 16, 2016
My prayers go out to #NeilTovey and his family. He's in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack.
— Refilwe Nkwana (@MrsNkwana) October 16, 2016
South Africa legend Neil Tovey is said to be in a critical condition after suffering heart ache during trainning
— TheSportsEvangelist (@adedejisampson) October 16, 2016
It's not the first time that Tovey has been hospitalized for a heart condition. In early 2015 he spent some time in ICU, after suffering three consecutive heart attacks.
He was appointed as Safa's technical director a few months later.
Tovey is best known as the skipper who led the national team to a 2-0 win over Tunisia, in the 1996 Cup of Nations.