In this week's edition of Where Are They Now, KickOff catches up with former Bafana Bafana top defender Nasief Morris to discuss his life after football.
Based in Cape Town, Morris feels wronged by Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Pereira and his assistant Pitso Mosimane for not including him in the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, despite being on top of his game in Spain.
Morris's opinion in football is well respected in South African football, having played for reputable clubs such as Aris Saloniki and Panathinaikos (both in Greece), and Recreativo Huelva and Real Racing Club Santander (both in Spain).
He also played for Santos FC and SuperSport United before retiring at Milano.
My Playing Days:
"I'm happy with my playing days. I feel like I could have played a little longer, but there weren't any opportunities for me at the end. When I finished with Milano, I felt I could still play, but I couldn't find a team.
"The only thing I was truly upset about was the 2010 World Cup. You need to ask SAFA what happened. At that time, I was playing in La Liga, making 95% of my appearances over the two seasons, yet other players who weren't even playing for their clubs were selected for the national team ahead of me. That's not fair.
"I tried to reach out to Carlos and Pitso at that time, but Pitso never answered my calls. I wanted to talk to Carlos to discuss everything and find a way back into the national team, but I think the decision was already made before the Confed Cup.
"I was dropped when I returned from Spain, and after the first training session, I was removed from the team, effectively ending my chance. I could have shown my best, but that opportunity was taken away from me."
Did I Make Money From Soccer?
"Yes, I did. However, playing locally wouldn't help much. Playing abroad definitely makes a difference. I have properties in my name that I don't have to pay a mortgage on. Right now, I'm busy starting my own business. When I was in Greece, we had about four payments a year, totalling around 1.5 million Euros over three years, I think."
Where I'm Living Currently:
"I currently live in Cape Town. I have four kids, my eldest is 19, and the other three are eight-year-old triplets."
Jobs Since Stopping Playing the Game:
"I was doing okay in general, I invested my money wisely. When I wasn't working, I was living off that. I also started coaching, my last position was with Shaun Bartlett at Cape Town Spurs. We got promoted with the team, but we were unfortunately fired after just seven games."
My Current Job:
"At the moment, I don't have a job, I'm focused on starting my own business. It's centred on football development, and I want to use it for the youth in my community."
If I Could Do It Again:
"I would start whatever I'm doing now a little bit earlier."