Mtolo collapsed with 15 minutes left to train, says coach. After that, things moved fast

You could hear in his voice that Vasili Manousakis had endured an emotional 36 hours.

The Richards Bay co-coach, in an interview with News24 on Wednesday, spoke fondly of Siphamandla "Spepe" Mtolo, the club captain who tragically died after collapsing at training on Tuesday.

READ | Tragedy strikes as PSL footballer Mtolo dies after collapsing during training

The KwaZulu-Natal-based PSL club was enjoying a regular training session, operating with the same intensity players have given all season, preparing for their next league clash against TS Galaxy in Mpumalanga on 19 March. 

After a short water break, Manousakis signalled 15 minutes remaining for the final training drill of the session, before the players could hit the showers.

Suddenly, Mtolo (29), collapsed.

His teammates, in frantic fashion, rushed to assist him. They got Mtolo to sit up, but he was struggling to breathe.

The club's team doctor, Lindiwe Ndlovu, was not on site, as she was only required to be on duty during matchdays. Nkosinathi Mthembu, the team physio, urgently assisted where he could.

A minute later, with every second valuable, the club's general manager, Jeffery Fakude, got his car onto the field and rushed Mtolo to hospital himself.

"The players were unbelievable, the entire squad, everyone," Manousakis told News24 on Wednesday.

"They were there, taking off his potency socks and whatever was needed, passing water, ice, whatever the frontier required at that time.

"We didn't even blink, and the team manager had his car on the field because, obviously, there was a massive risk in waiting for the arrival of the ambulance.

"This was all precaution at this stage, and obviously, on the way to the hospital, the rest they say is hard to say."

Manousakis, the