Kaizer Chiefs midfielder and club captain Yusuf Maart has spoken out on being one of the most heavily criticised players in the squad, revealing why he stays off social media.
Whether it be the weight of the armband on his left arm or a general dislike from the fanbase, Maart has endured a season of often finding himself on the receiving end of verbal and cyber abuse from Chiefs supporters, seemingly more than his teammates.
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His hot-and-cold performances, which have prompted head coach Nasreddine Nabi to occasionally drop him from the starting XI, have not helped his case either. Maart has come off the bench on six occasions so far this term.
Neither has the side's dismal showing of 11 league defeats.
Statistics, though, suggest the 29-year-old generally enjoys Nabi's vote of confidence, with 30 appearances under his belt across all competitions.
Speaking to the media at the Soweto Derby pre-match press conference on Thursday, Maart revealed his standpoint on social media criticism.
"You know, sometimes you can't control everything around you as a player," Maart told journalists.
"You have to go out there on the field and fight for your team at the end of the day and fight for your name...
"I'm not one to be on social media and see those things because if you are going to go there and see all those things, it will break you as a person. You are also a human being at the end of the day.
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"So, for me, it's just about keeping myself positive and keeping on going as a player. So, I don't go on social media and see things that are going to break you. Ja, people can break you, but they will make you at the end of the day," he noted.
The midfielder will likely be called on once more when Amakhosi host rivals Pirates at the FNB Stadium on Saturday (15:00).
