Swallows FC's Njabulo Ngcobo, a player linked with Kaizer Chiefs, crowned a superb season from an individual point of view by winning the PSL Defender of the Season award on Sunday night.
Swallows ended a fine season, considering it was their first back in the top-flight after a five-year absence, in a very credible sixth position.
With 31 goals scored, theirs was the lowest tally in the top eight, but with only 23 conceded, the Birds had the joint-third best defence in the country.
And Ngcobo was a big part of that, as was highlighted by his winning of the PSL Defender of the Season award, a huge accomplishment in what was his first season in the top-flight.
By Swallows coach Brandon Truter's own admission, his side's success is going to come at a price, and a large exodus of players is expected in the off-season.
“The second season will be tougher, but we will have to get it right in the transfer market," he said after Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Baroka FC.
"It is going to be tough, we will be losing about six of the main players who started the majority of the games. So it is going to be another rebuilding process.”
It's widely understood that the likes of Ngcobo, Sifiso Hlanti, Kgaogelo Sekgota and Ruzaigh Gamildien are amongst the Swallows players who will quickly be snapped up by Swallows' PSL rivals.
Ngcobo and left-back Hlanti in particular have been strongly linked with Chiefs. Gamildien had also reportedly been a player of interest for the Glamour Boys, although his sensational early-season form has tapered off somewhat.
Ngcobo would certainly fit the profile of a Chiefs signing and after a shaky season for the Amakhosi defence, both him and Hlanti will surely be targeted.
The issue though for Chiefs is that Ngcobo's stock has risen significantly in recent months - not only did he win the Defender of the Season accolade, but he's also been included in the latest Bafana Bafana squad, to play Uganda this week in a friendly.
Those factors will give Swallows, as well as Ngcobo and his agent, additional bargaining power and could make it a challenging acquisition for Chiefs - the 27-year-old won't be short of potential suitors from other clubs.
