According to Siya sources, coach Stuart Baxter may be the key that unlocks a potential move for one of Kaizer Chiefs’ star midfielders.

Nkosingiphile Ngcobo enjoyed a breakthrough season several months ago with Amakhosi heavily reliant on their youth product following a FIFA ban that curtailed their plans to beef up their squad with more prominent names.

It was Ngcobo, and fellow academy graduate Happy Mashiane, who stole the show under Baxter’s predecessor Gavin Hunt.

The Siya crew reported last year that Ngcobo, who had been invited for trials at Swiss outfit FC St. Gallen before a devasting Achilles tendon injury that not only put him out of action by scuppered his opportunity for an assessment abroad as well as denied him the chance to be part of the U20 World Cup in Poland two years ago.

But with Hunt playing him regularly, It was reported last year December that the midfielder was being monitored by clubs in Spain, Portugal and France!

“That’s on ice at the moment because he is not playing,” said a source privy to player movements at Naturena.

“A lot of the times, the overseas market prefers a player that is playing regularly for his club, especially if he is young so that the conversation with the decision makers can be a lot easier in proving the player is a special talent.”

The overall total of six games so far suggests Baxter prefers the new recruits, who came when the transfer ban was lifted in July, as that number of matches pales in comparison to the 15 or so he’d featured in at this period of the previous season.

Whether the interest abroad will remain now depends on Ngcobo convincing Baxter that he should recalled as a regular.