With Mamelodi Sundowns star Lucas Ribeiro Costa tipped to win the major end of season awards, Soccer Laduma looks at the past winners who went for greener pastures.
Costa has been linked with a move away from Sundowns at the end of the current campaign, with a return to Europe mooted as a high possibility.
With the Brazilian set to lead Masandawana at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, a brilliant campaign at the extended tournament between June and July could earn him his dream move.
At least in the last decade, only three players left for greener pastures after winning the PSL Footballer of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards, which are the two main categories, considering that the former is voted for by coaches and the latter by players within the league.
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Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite, after he won the Footballer of the Season and Players' Player of the 2014/15 campaign, left the Glamour Boys for Swedish side, Hacken in the off-season.
In the 2016/16 term, Lebohang Manyama won both the awards playing for Cape Town City and that earned him a move to Turkish side, Konyaspor.
Former Masandawana forward Percy Tau also made the so-called clean-sweep at the PSL awards of the 2017/18 campaign and was signed by Brighton and Hove Albion in the off-season.
However, since Tau, no player who has won either the Footballer of the Season or Players' Player of the Season award has went overseas.
It was the year of former Orlando Pirates forward Thembinkosi Lorch post the 2018/19 after he won the major awards but he remained at Pirates the following season.
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The Brazilians' forward Themba Zwane also made a clean-sweep after Lorch but also did not get a move abroad.
The 2021/22 and 2022/23 terms belonged to Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile, who won the major awards for two consecutive campaigns but has remained at Chloorkop.
Sundowns midfielder and Pirates attacker Monnapule Saleng won the Footballer of the Season and Players' Player of the Season in the 2022/23 term.
Masandawana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and the Buccaneers' midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi also won the Footballer of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards last season, respectively.
