Cape Town - Once revered as the "Golden Boy" players of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates respectively, the glitter has dimmed on Doctor Khumalo and Teboho Moloi.
Both were seemingly groomed as future coaches of the glamour clubs following acclaimed and hero-worshipped playing careers and appointed as assistant coaches as stepping stones to more lofty heights.
But now, after lengthy tenures as assistant coaches of the two Soweto glamour clubs, both have apparently been downgraded, with former Ghanaian legend John Pantsil assuming the role of assistant to Steve Komphela at Amakhosi and, following the announcement last week, former Bafana Bafana fullback Bradley Carnell now filling in as the assistant to recently-appointed Muhsin Ertugral at Buccaneers.
Khumalo has been designated the role of youth level coach and talent scout with Chiefs, while Moloi's future with Pirates is seemingly yet to be determined after he was released on what was termed "extended leave for personal reasons" towards the tail-end of the last PSL season.
Khumalo has denied ongoing and persistent reports that his demotion is due to differences with Komphela during what was a frustrating and relatively unsuccessful last season for Chiefs, insisting it had been planned 12 months ago that he would switch to the club's youth structure.
Pirates, in turn, have remained vague and non-committal over the future of Mohloi, who operated as the club's assistant coach under half-a-dozen head coaches for more than a decade.
And, in both the instances of Khumalo and Moloi, it seems that coaching careers to match in stature their hero-worshipped playing careers have summarily come to a halt - at least in the short-term.