Week in and week out, Bafana Bafana defender Siyabonga Ngezana has continued to impress in Romania.

The 27-year-old center back has been named in the Romania SuperLiga Team of the Week, something that happens regularly since he joined FCSB from Kaizer Chiefs in June 2023.

Ngezana was a league champion in his first season with FCSB, along with a Super Cup, and this season, he’s chasing another league title.

He’s played 37 matches across all competitions in the 2024/25 season, ranking among the most influential FCSB players this campaign, and previously, reports have suggested his performances haven’t gone unnoticed.

More recently, Italian Serie A side Lecce and English Championship club Birmingham have been reported to be eyeing Ngezana for a fee believed to be €5 million (R107 million).

French clubs are also thought to be keen to land his signature, and with FCSB on course to win another league title and Ngezana’s international career on the up, having established himself as a regular in the Bafana Bafana team, his future looks bright.

For a player who’s had to contend with harsh critics in the past, Ngezana has turned it all around.

His move to Romania may have caught many by surprise almost two years ago, but it’s proved to be a masterstroke, and if FCSB can wrap up the title, he’ll look back with so much joy.

If he then makes a big club move and helps Bafana Bafana qualify for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, then he’ll be one of the most talked-about South African defenders.

Gone are those days when he was a subject of ridicule.