A South African teenager was shot dead by an irate neighbour for blowing his vuvuzela after the national side beat France at the World Cup, according to his father.

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Asanda Cele, 14, was still clinging to life when he was discovered in his alleged killer's garden near Durban having been shot twice in the head and once in the arm, but died later in hospital from his wounds.

Sandile Cele, Asanda's father, claimed that his son was returning from watching Bafana Bafana's 2-1 victory over France with friends on June 22 when he was gunned down by a neighbour he says was notorious for his hatred of the noisy plastic horns.

Police confirmed that the neighbour, a 35-year-old Durban lawyer, had been arrested for murder and had told police that he believed the boy to be a robber.

But the boy's father insisted that the vuvzela had been the reason for the killing.

"Asanda loved football and always blew his vuvuzela, even if his team lost," said Sandile.

"But my neighbour, who'd just moved here, doesn't like the noise vuvuzelas make and I think that's why he killed Asanda.

"After the game my son and his friends allegedly went into the neighbour's yard, blowing their vuvuzelas. The boys say he was then shot."

Captain Thulani Zwane of KwaZulu Natal police confirmed the suspect was arrested the same day and charged with murder. He was later released on bail and is expected to re-appear before magistrates next month.

"The man thought the victim was a robber and shot at him," said Zwane.