Still going strong at the advanced age of 35, Orlando Pirates midfield destroyer-in-chief Makhehlene Makhaula has been likened to a FIFA World Cup-winning star.
Pirates are busy on several fronts, aiming to challenge for the league title, as well as enjoy a strong run in the CAF Champions League, while also having eyes on the Nedbank Cup trophy.
With 34 appearances under his belt this season, Makhaula has been one of head coach Jose Riveiro's most trusted lieutenants set out to carry that mission.
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The veteran joined the Soweto giants midway through 2022/23 for what many expected to be a brief spell, considering his age.
The opposite, however, has happened.
He has redesigned his game from a defensive midfielder to more of a box-to-box player. In the process, the former AmaZulu FC man has kept Miguel Timm, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo, and Goodman Mosele out of the starting XI - players younger than him.
Tapelo Xoki, who also played with Makhaula at Usuthu, believes his teammate's transition is like that of Andrea Pirlo, who famously left AC Milan only to redefine his playing style and become an even more influential player at Juventus.
"I made reference to Andrea Pirlo - the older he got, the better he played, and that seems to be the case with 'Cash' (Makhaula)," Xoki said on Bucs Camp, via Pirates TV.
"I played now with him over five seasons and he is just getting better every season and it is an inspiration to all of us: age is not a limit.
"He is someone you cannot fault in terms of effort, he always gives more than one hundred percent," notes Xoki.
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Makhaula will likely remain a key figure for the side as Riveiro aims to finish the season strongly. Pirates are in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup and the quarter-finals of the CAF Champions League.
They meet MC Alger in Algeria for the first leg of the last eight on Tuesday.