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“Yohane was talented. We had loaned him to Caps United before he moved to South Africa.
It’s sad he is no longer with us,” said Msindo.
Yohane arrived in South Africa for the first time, along with Chikoya, in January 1995 when they signed for Gordon Igesund’s African Wanderers.
The defender briefly returned home and joined Caps United on loan in 1996 and was part of the all-conquering Green Machine squad that went on to lift the Premiership title, under the late Steve “The Dude” Kwashi.
Unfortunately for Yohane, he could not stay long enough to celebrate the title as he had returned to South Africa mid-season to join AmaZulu at the recommendation of Mike Makaab.
He had more stints with Bidvest Wits and AK FC.
Yohane, who had been based in South Africa for the past 25 years, played most of his professional football for the South African club Bidvest Wits.
He holds the record for appearances at the club, after playing for them 268 times over a period stretching between 1997 to 2006.
At Wits he played alongside Murisa, Alois Bunjira as well as Elasto Kapowezha.
He held the record for most appearances for Wits, having played for the club between 1997 and 2006, and clocking 268 appearances.
He later returned to the club and worked as development coach until the owners sold the franchise to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila last year.
Bunjira, who was his room mate at Wits, yesterday said he was devastated by the defender’s death.
“I knew Yohane from way back and what has happened to him is beyond devastating.
Personally, I cannot take it, it’s heart-breaking because I was very close to this guy.
We played together in the national Under-20 and Under-23 teams and at Caps United and in the senior national team.
“When I arrived at Wits, he was actually the one who had recommended the team’s management after he was asked about me.
I wasn’t surprised he was doing well coaching youth teams, because he always talked about doing development,” said Bunjira.
Yohane was capped 23 times with the Warriors during the late 1990s and 2000s.
He was part of the trailblazing group of Warriors that represented Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 2004 in Tunisia.
He returned for the 2006 edition held in Egypt.
Following retirement from playing he had been working in Johannesburg as a football coach and a taxi driver.
His body was found in Soweto on Sunday. South Africa-based former Zimbabwean footballer, Edelbert Dinha, said he became suspicious after Yohane’s phone became unreachable.
“We tried calling him from Saturday up to Monday, and we couldn’t reach him. Then I went to the police station.
“Charles was a quiet person, always smiling, he never argued with anyone. He was coaching Leruma United FC in the ABC Motsepe League,” he told the BBC.
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