4 Famous South African Football Stars Who Had Very Public Divorces
- The one thing that makes a successful soccer player a certified GOAT is a stunning WAG by his side
- Unfortunately, nothing good lasts forever, and these four marriages did not make it to the next round
- UWC Psychologist Dr Erica Munnik explained to Briefly News that being in the limelight can contribute to the reasons why stars get divorced
PAY ATTENTION: Let yourself be inspired by real people who go beyond the ordinary! Subscribe and watch our new shows on Briefly TV Life now!
Source: UGC
For ages, football spectators have followed the romance of soccer stars and their WAGS, inspired by the royal couple of football, David and Victoria Beckham.
In Mzansi, there was a time when being a footballer's wife made one an A-Lister, just like the former Posh Spice. But for some couples, fans have witnessed them fall in love and later sustain field injuries that cost them the league.
How public expectation and media scrutiny affect celebrities' relationships
Dr Erica Munnik from the Department of Psychology at the University of the Western Cape explained to Briefly News that public roles are time-consuming and often increase and strain their personal lives and relationships.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
She adds that they sometimes have to travel excessively, taking them away from their loved ones for long periods. This might lead to couples growing apart:
"To be in the public eye means that you are watched constantly and often used as a representation of 'perfection', but no one is perfect.
"Very often some of the personal challenges that celebrities experience might become known and will receive attention, sometimes maybe interpreted out of context and will then lead to increased stress for the celebrities.
"If the divorce is initiated by women, men might feel lonely, hopeless and emotionally torn. With a constant eye on these challenges, it just makes the experience so much worse."
Here is an example of the side-effects of marriages being exposed to the limelight, as seen with these four notable divorced soccer stars:
1. Reneilwe "Yeye" Letsholonyane
Once Mzansi's favourite couples, Yeye was the MVP in radio personality Mpho Maboi’s life when all the ladies refused to pass the former Kaizer Chiefs forward the ball.
The country was shocked when the SuperSports presenter proudly dated the retired player, nicknamed 'Beyoncé', for 10 years before tying the knot in a private traditional wedding in 2017.
Check out pictures of their beautiful family below from Reneilwe's Instagram account:
Mpho confirmed divorce rumours in 2022 on Twitter, now known as the X app, after she was spotted using her maiden name, and said:
"Oh, and trying to shame me for being divorced doesn’t work on me… try another 'insult'. I’ve heard it all at this point."
2. Andile "Gattuso" Jali
The former husband to the ultimate Diski Diva, Nonhle Ndala, is Andile Jali. The star, who is now in his retirement home, Moroka Swallows FC, and the reality star started seeing cracks in 2020.
Nonhle took their marital problems to social media, resulting in Jali blowing the final whistle on her. She would later issue a public apology. SowetanLIVE published her note, which said:
“I’d like to apologise to the father of my children for the live video that has gone viral that was recorded in his presence, jokingly so.
“Those that were part of the live [video] can attest that I was playing and he was having a good laugh. It was just having harmless fun. I do agree that it was in poor taste and not well received by the masses," Nonhle said.
He wasn't called the midfield kingpin for nothing as he paid lobola for Pirates' superstar Thembinkosi Lorch's ex-girlfriend, Nokuphiwa Fundiswa Mathithibala. Mathithibala is awaiting sentencing to be handed down to Lorch after their GBV case.
3. Matthew "White Knight" Booth
Source: Getty Images
The Bafana Bafana player who had the crowd chanting, "Booooth" whenever he touched the ball, had the same people shocked by his publicly exposed extramarital affair.
Matthew didn’t meet his estranged wife Sonia Booth's dietary instructions and was caught offside eating cheesecake with the opposition, personal trainer Bongani Mthombeni-Moller.
The former beauty queen counter-attacked the cheating dribbler and won the league by turning the humiliation into a successful business idea. The "cheesecake" saga inspired Sonia to curate the Marula Cheesecake Passion Liqueur.
4. Tendai "Tindo" Ndoro
Source: Getty Images
The former Orlando Pirates talisman, Zimbabwean Tendai Ndoro, was the ‘moegoe‘ of the season after he was left high and dry by his South African ex-wife, Thando Maseko.
Fire 7 watched Maseko walk away with the cup, taking his fleet of cars and property.
He also had a customary marriage with House of Zwide actress Zinhle Ngwenya, whom he accused of witchcraft. Zinhle, who's also a traditional healer, set the record straight on The South African, saying:
“My child has always been my priority and I’m not bitter. I don’t misuse my powers to get back at people,” Ngwenya said.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!
Source: Briefly News
