The start of October marked a week since Sthembiso Ngcobo turned 40 and also marked seven years since calling time on his professional career that lasted over a decade in top-flight football.
Ngcobo broke into top-flight football after scoring 19 goals in the first division playing for Durban Stars during the 2006/07 season and went on to have two spells at Free State Stars in between playing for Kaizer Chiefs, AmaZulu, and BidVest Wits.
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A forceful striker in his playing days, Ngcobo has since acquired his CAF C Licence and was most recently involved with ABC Motsepe League club Mkhumbane Classic.
"Definitely not the same because back then during our playing days life was good with lots of money guaranteed at the end of the month," Ngcobo tells KickOff.com in a rare interview.
"[In retirement] Right now, it is no longer the same.
"I will be lying if I said I don't remember the money that came when we were still playing football because it was nice and easy.
"Right now, you must think like an adult and be careful about spending habits.
"But then life goes on and I'm happy as a human being.
"I was ready when I took the decision to retire but then I must admit that it is no longer the same in terms of the lifestyle and all of that.
"Back then it was nice hotels and travelling but all of that is no longer there anymore.
"However, overall, I'm happy because if I said I wasn't happy I would be going against God.
"I can't lie and say I never made any bad financial decisions along the way.
"However, I wouldn't say I made a lot of those kind of bad decisions because everything that I did I did it aware of that football will come to an end.
"I always had the future in mind even though I also did do what all others were doing in going out and having fun though not going to extremes.
"With regards to cars, I didn't change cars a lot even though I do love cars.
"I had to be always worried about the fact that I come from rural areas.
"I came from a house built out of mud and having grown up in those circumstances helped me because I knew how much I don't want to back to those circumstances.
"It is good to speak about these things so that the younger ones learn, and we don't have to end up singing the same tune for generations and become a laughing stock.
"It is true that there are some who were reckless but not all of us because it is not everyone who earned big money while playing.
"With regards to football, coaching is the path that I will now take.
"The modern game demands that you don't just rely on the fact that you played but also make the effort to learn about coaching because there is a lot to gain.
"You don't have to have played the game at the highest level to be able to coach and Rulani Mokwena is a perfect example," says Ngcobo.
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