JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 07: Patrick Maswanganyi of Orlando Pirates during the DStv Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United at Orlando Stadium on November 07, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Fan-favourite Patrick Maswanganyi has opened up on following in the footsteps of South African football legends like Jomo Sono and Steve Lekoelea in donning the famous number 10 shirt for Orlando Pirates.
Ahead of their CAF Champions League campaign, Pirates announced that Maswanganyi had been assigned the jersey number to wear in CAF Champions League matches.
The Bucs last player to wear the number in the tournament was Vincent Pule, who has since departed for SuperSport United.
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It’s only been previously worn by a handful of players at the club in a regular season, with Steve Lekoelea being the last in the 2001/02 season.
Before that, the likes of Percy ‘Chippa’ Moloi, Jomo Sono, King ‘Kaizer Matatazela’ Mkhwanazi, Blessing ‘Killer’ Mgidi and Basil Steenkamp had all had the number written on the back of their jerseys.
Maswanganyi himself has also earned his right to don the famous shirt, having been voted last season’s PSL Players’ Player of the Season.
“It’s an honour to wear this number. To have the number 10 jersey is not only a childhood dream of mine but also a sense of responsibility and undertaking of the expectations that it carries,” the Tembisa-born midfielder told the club’s website.
“I have always loved the number 10 jersey ever since I was young.
“The first soccer shirt I ever owned was that of Real Madrid that my father had bought it for me. It was that of Figo.
“Everywhere I went, people used to call me ‘Figo’, ‘Figo’, and as a kid, that sort of attention brought a smile to my face. I guess that fond memory is what cemented my relationship with that number 10 jersey.
“It means a lot honestly not only to me but also to my family, my friends and especially to those who look up to me,” added the man nicknamed ‘Tito’.
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In order to keep wearing the jersey this season, the Tembisa-born lad will need to make sure they progress to the next preliminary round of the CAF Champions League by defeating Disciples on Friday night.
“I don’t see this as just a number because, for Orlando Pirates, the number 10 jersey holds a very special place in the history of this organisation. But having said that, we have work to do on Friday.
“As a team, we are focused on making sure that we get the desired [result] and move to the next round,” he concluded.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:30.
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