A slump by the Kaizer Chiefs, winners of South Africa's last two league titles, has taken its toll on the players' personal lives.
Midfielder John ''Shoes'' Moshoeu told Johannesburg's Business Day:
''We cannot go to restaurants because the waiters do not serve us and instead want to know what is going on [with the club]. A simple trip to the shops becomes a problem because the cashiers also do not give us the goods we want.
''And, to make matters worse, even my grandmother wants to know what is going on when I go home.''