
Orlando Pirates midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi has expressed his pleasure of being awarded the opportunity to wear the historic jersey number 10 for Orlando Pirates for the first time on home soil.
Pirates will host Disciples of Madagascar in the second leg of the CAF Champions League at Orlando Pirates this evening at 19:30 and Tito is expected to dorn the number 10 shirt in front of his home fans.
“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,” Tito revealed on the club’s website.
“I have always loved the number 10 jersey ever since I was young,” he reveals. “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,” he continued.
The number 10 shirt was retired after a historic run from players including Chippa Moloi and Jomo Sono. It was brought back on CAF competitions due to the limitation on squad numbers.
Amongst players who have been allowed to wear it is club legend Benedict Vilakazi, Oupa Manyisa and it was last worn by Vincent Pule who is now in the books of SuperSport United.
“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. 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 and move to the next round,” Maswanganyi concluded.