In celebration of Orlando Pirates 80th anniversary this year, we have decided to compile of list of 50 greatest ever players to have worn the black and white jersey . We know that this list will elicit a lot of debates over the next four weeks. We start this week with the countdown from number 40 to 31.

40: Dennis” Chesa Mpama” Lota, a deadly finisher with a bizarre celebration of rubbing his hands together.  Clever striker, who knew how to position himself and scored goals from unbelievable angles.

39: Williams Okpara, an imposing figure in terms of stature. Good shot stopper, very agile and brave. He played a key role in 1995 team that won the African Champions Cup.

38: Eric ” Chippa” Chauke, the ” Principal” was a polished midfielder who pulled strings in the middle of the park. He had the ability to see and make a pass before the  opposition could anticipate . A real special player.

37: Jeffrey ” Tornando” Ntsibande, a pure goalscorer. The original number 9. A real handful for defenders. could hit the ball with both legs and used his great upper body strength to protect the ball. He packed unbelievable power.

36: Jerry Sadike, he joined the club Kaizer Chiefs in the late 70’s. Very skillfull attacking midfielder, very quick and scored lots of goals . Born in Orlando Pirates and made his name with Pimville United brothers, here he played with the likes of Chris Rollaway Ndlovu,  Yster Khomane  and George Best More.

35: Ronny “Mainline” Zondi, a sturdy figure at the back and captain. A great communicator. Good reader of the game. Could build attacks from the back, and had great technical ability.

34: Teko Modise,  poster of his generation. Joined the team from Supersport United where he wasn’t getting game time, and his career reached new  heights at the Club winning the PSL Footballer of the year in the 2008/2009 season. A true midfield general, could score free kicks. Had a great work ethic and blessed with a wonderful technique. He could Influence results for the team.

33: Toy Ramosa, quick, and clever versatile midfielder. He could run all day, could create and score goals . A dependable player who was a must have in the team.

32: Ernest ” Botsotso ” Makhanya, a super talented player with a wonderful left foot. Clever  play who could dictate the pace of the game. Great passer of the ball. A dead-ball specialist. One of the best penalty the game has ever seen.

31: Kagiso ” Zero” Mogale, a stockily built central midfielder. Could influence the game with his excellent passing range and his football intelligence . A must have in any team. Given his trickery and ability to read the game he could easily have played in the modern game.