Growing up in a village in Giyani, sleeping in a thatched rondavel, life was not a bed of roses for Bloemfontein Celtic defender Justice Chabalala.
For the former Free State Stars defender, like many other players, football helped him escape poverty to provide his family with a better life.
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Chabalala's story is inspirational for many young people having come from a disadvantaged background to succeed in life.
The Limpopo-born centre-back is currently on the books of Orlando Pirates but has been loaned out to Celtic until the end of the season.
On his journey to stardom, Chabalala is not shy to share his personal background about how he used to share one room with his siblings.
"I didn't grow up on a silver platter," says Chabalala in the latest KICK OFF magazine, currently on sale countrywide.
"Sometimes I didn't have three meals a day and at times the pap didn't have any relish. I would eat the pap like that with nothing next to it. Just plain pap.'
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Despite signing for Pirates few seasons ago, Chabalala is yet to command a regular place in the Soweto club's starting line-up and has spent the past two seasons on loan to Chippa United and Celtic.
Learning to survive in a jungle, the Giyani-born defender has also thanked Buccaneers chairman Irvin Khoza for teaching him patience.
"Even the distance to school was so far that it took me 30 minutes to get there when jogging. But it was patience through all the years that I went to school until I got into football," he says.
"I always had patience to wait for my chance to play. I learnt about being patient from the chairman [Khoza] because he always told me 'don't worry, things will be alright'."
The latest KICK OFF magazine can be found on the store shelves with Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebogang Manyama as the cover story.