SA Futsal Coach Chris Naidoo Attacked by Gang in Durban CBD Daylight Robbery, Saved by Good Samaritan

A drive through Durban’s CBD turned nightmarish for football coach Chris Naidoo on Saturday when a gang of eight suspects launched a brazen daylight attack on him.

Naidoo, the coach of South Africa’s national futsal (indoor football) team, was driving through the heavily congested Joe Slovo Street around midday when he came under attack.

He was accompanied by a colleague and, due to the scorching heat, the pair were inching through bumper-to-bumper traffic with their vehicle windows slightly ajar.

The car was suddenly surrounded by suspected robbers, who forcibly opened the windows and attempted to grab valuables from inside the vehicle. In the ensuing chaos, one assailant snatched Naidoo’s cellphone, while others tried to yank rings from his fingers.

Naidoo refused to submit. He fought back, exited the vehicle and pursued the suspect who had wrenched the cellphone from him.

As the commotion unfolded, a crowd of pedestrians looked on but offered no assistance. A large group of onlookers had gathered by the time Naidoo approached the suspect, who was being shielded by other members of the gang.

At that moment, a well-dressed man, unknown to Naidoo and carrying a small bag slung over his shoulder, emerged. The man confronted the gang, demanded the return of the stolen cellphone and gestured threateningly towards his bag.

His intervention proved pivotal. The cellphone was returned, much to Naidoo’s relief, and the gang quickly melted away into the busy surroundings.

Although the robbers managed to flee with bags containing important documents and sports equipment during the chaos, a visibly shaken Naidoo and his colleague thanked the Good Samaritan for helping recover the cellphone and potentially saving his life.

“Those men could have easily turned violent with the numbers in their favour,” Naidoo reflected. “This unknown man intervened when others stood by.”

Naidoo has since attempted to reconnect with the Good Samaritan to thank him for what he described as a “God-sent” intervention, but without success.

The incident was reported at Durban Central police station. At the time of publication, no response had been received from the South African Police Service to questions sent by this newspaper.

DAILY NEWS