Bad luck haunts ex Sundowns star as he loses his job, daughter and mother in one year

Rodney Ramagalela, the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Black Leopards striker, has revealed the profound impact of personal tragedies he has endured in recent years.

Currently without a club, the 35-year-old has opened up about losing his daughter, family, and house, leaving a deep emotional scar.

“Before that, my mom passed on in 2019 and that’s the same year my daughter passed on also. She was burned by fire, I was told,” Ramagalela said in an interview with Andile Ncube on Sports Night Amplified.

The loss of his daughter was particularly devastating, with Ramagalela only learning of her passing after the incident.

“I don’t know what happened, but I was told after she passed on. You can tell that there were so many things going on but as a human being, I didn’t see it because I didn’t understand what was going on.”

Ramagalela’s traumas continued in 2021 when his house in his home village of Mamvuka was gutted by a fire.

These multiple losses, combined with the pressures of his football career, took a significant toll on his mental well-being.

“I was so focused on playing football, I didn’t see the red flags… not because I didn’t want to see them, but I didn’t know I had to see them.”

Ramagalela’s impressive goalscoring record in the DStv Premiership (49 goals in 197 games) belies the personal struggles he has faced.

After leaving Sundowns, he found a resurgence with Polokwane City and later Highlands Park, but his off-field issues lingered.

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