Out-of-favour Bafana Bafana midfielder Sipho Mbule was released by Orlando Pirates, as announced on Tuesday, as his contract lapsed without renewal.
His future is the subject of intense speculation. Early on in his Pirates stint, Mbule played some of his best football and was one of the stars of the Bafana Bafana team that qualified for the FIFA World Cup. However, a decline in form since has seen him dropped from Hugo Broos' squad for the tournament in Mexico, Canada and the USA.
The Sunday World reported that Mbule was subject to interest from Siwelele, with the player affectionately known as 'Masterchef' looking to move overseas. However, a source from Mbule's camp has indicated to ESPN that nothing has been decided yet regarding his future.
How could Siwelele appeal to Mbule?
In pure footballing terms, a move to Siwelele would not be the most lucrative option for Mbule, to say the least.
Newly-formed following last year's sale of SuperSport United, Siwelele finished 10th in their debut South African Premiership campaign. However, the club has yet to prove itself capable of providing a stable environment for players.
That was always going to be a big ask for the club owned by Calvyn LeJohn - South African Sports, Arts & Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie's son - in its first season. However, the club did little to help its image by sending its players on long trips to away games by bus as a cost-saving measure.
The case that Siwelele could make, however, is one of the heart. Mbule is from Bethlehem in the same Free State province which the club represents. Free State-raised players Teboho Mokoena and Tshegofatso Mabasa have fondly recalled their experiences with a young 'Master Chef' when speaking to ESPN. The province is his stomping ground, and there is little doubt over what Mbule can do when he feels at home.
The question marks hanging over Mbule and Siwelele from media critics have one major factor in common: they are largely focused on off-field matters rather than football itself.
Granted - Mbule has lost form in recent months - but negative commentary on him has largely focused on his attitude, despite the fact that very few journalists and pundits truly know Mbule to the extent that peers such as Mokoena and Mabasa do.
Siwelele could, perhaps, make the case to Mbule that their shared adversaries in the court of public opinion make them a match made in heaven, as they both seek to prove the world wrong.
Could a move abroad help Mbule find his feet?
The Sunday World cited a source who described Mbule as having the sense that "everyone hates him" in South Africa.
If this is true, and his instinct is telling him to head elsewhere to prove his critics wrong rather than having another crack on home soil, then a move abroad could help him regain his peace of mind.
It has worked wonders for another controversial player - Thembinkosi Lorch - who like Mbule has previously represented Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Lorch was another notable snub in Broos' World Cup squad. However, even the Belgian coach has conceded that despite his previous insistence that 'Nyoso' has no place in his team, the attacking midfielder/winger is on fire in North Africa. He currently plays for Libya's Al Ittihad Tripoli and previously starred for Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, including at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Without jumping to conclusions; if it is true that Mbule's life off the field is not conducive to a footballer of his immense talent, then a separation from his environment could potentially do him well.
Where else could Masterchef cook?
Three other clubs in South Africa come to mind as destinations where Mbule might be able to find the best version himself - although there is no indication that these options are currently on the table.
One is Kaizer Chiefs, who have been linked with him through media speculation in the past. They are the only club among South Africa's 'Big Three' who Mbule has not represented. He showed glimpses of his potential for Sundowns and Pirates, so if all is well off the field, Chiefs could be the environment where one of South Africa's most talented players truly performs to his potential. Mbule, it should be remembered, is 28 years old and has time ahead of him still.
Another is AmaZulu - who have shown themselves to be willing to bet on ageing stars as senior players in their team. Bongani Zungu found a home there following his exit from Mamelodi Sundowns, as did Ben Motshwari after he left Orlando Pirates.
The head coach himself, Arthur Zwane, joined after a heartbreaking end to his time in charge of Kaizer Chiefs. He, of all people, will have some understanding of what Mbule is going through and could help revive Masterchef's career if he himself remains in Durban.
Mbule would be expected to be on his best behaviour at 'Usuthu' though, as the core of their squad is young and as they look to challenge the top three sides in South Africa, they need good influences around the dressing room.
Another environment which could be perfect for Mbule if he keeps his head is Stellenbosch FC. Gavin Hunt is a famously strict disciplinarian, and Ronwen Williams has previously confirmed to ESPN that players were left out of Hunt's SuperSport United XI if they so much as splurged their money unnecessarily on cars.
Hunt, however, told ESPN at a press conference earlier this year that he has adapted out of necessity and is not quite as dictatorial with modern players' lifestyles as he was with the previous generation, even though his principles are fundamentally unchanged.
Mabasa waxed lyrical about Hunt's influence on him after he went on loan to Stellenbosch from Orlando Pirates before being released from the Buccaneers together with Mbule.
"The amount of confidence; the amount of belief he has in his players - the support he gives his players as well - has been really wonderful. I think it's something that one has needed not only recently, but also over the last couple of months as well. It's just been a different environment for me - a change of scenery. It has helped me quite a lot to grow and to be able to improve as well," Mabasa said of Hunt.
Crucially, Mabasa described his time at Stellenbosch as reminiscent of his time at the now defunct Bloemfontein Celtic, so if Mbule were to want an environment that contained echoes of his childhood in the Free State without actually being located there, Stellies might just be one of his best bets.