Relebohile Mofokeng dons the number 10 shirt for Bafana, treading in the footsteps of a revered lineup of former stars

He steps into a lineage of some of South Africa's finest footballers who have previously worn the shirt, a number famously associated with Pelé, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi.

Mofokeng is a composed character and is unlikely to feel any extra burden, yet there is little doubt that wearing this number carries additional weight.

Below are several distinguished players who have donned the shirt for Bafana Bafana over the years.

John 'Shoes' Moshoeu

For many supporters, he is the finest ever to wear the national team colours, or at least the most accomplished midfielder. Moshoeu was a once-in-a-generation talent who, on his best days, could dismantle opposing sides with ease.

He spent 11 years in the national team after making his debut against Botswana in 1993 and was part of the squad that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for two World Cups.

He did not travel to the second of those global finals, but ended his international career in 2004 as the oldest player ever to represent South Africa at the age of 38. He earned 73 caps and scored eight goals.

Moshoeu sadly passed away in 2015 at the age of 49.

Bennett Mnguni

Mnguni appears here more as a curiosity than for his achievements, having been assigned the number 10 jersey for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, making him a rather improbable recipient.

For a start, he did not play a single minute of Bafana's matches at the tournament and, in an international career that spanned from 2001 to 2004, made just 13 appearances without scoring a goal.

He was a standout for Mamelodi Sundowns and later moved to Russia to play for Lokomotiv Moscow and FC Rostov.

All things considered, he remains one of the most unconventional holders of the number 10 shirt.

Steven Pienaar

Based purely on technical ability, Pienaar was arguably the most naturally talented player to represent Bafana, but his difficulty was that many of his teammates did not always share his wavelength, so his creativity and footballing intellect were frequently overlooked.

He needed players of similar quality around him to truly excel, but that was not always the case with Bafana and he often cut a frustrated figure.

Pienaar made his debut against Madagascar in 2002 and earned his final cap nine years later in 2011, playing 62 times for his country and scoring three goals.

He now works as a youth coach at Ajax Amsterdam.

Thulani Serero

Serero might have earned at least twice his 42 international caps and certainly more than two goals, but at times he appeared to be not fully invested in the national team cause.

He rose through the ranks at Ajax Cape Town before moving to the parent club in Amsterdam in 2011, where he enjoyed success, albeit in a more withdrawn midfield role.

He played further forward for Bafana Bafana. Serero made his debut in 2011 and received his final cap in 2019.

Percy Tau

The most recent long-term occupant of the number 10 shirt for the national side, whenever he was included in the squad, Tau did not fully realise the classic playmaker role at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire, but he was a devoted and valuable servant to Bafana Bafana for a decade after his debut in 2015.

On his day, he was both a superb creator and a clinical finisher.

He recently left Vietnamese side Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, while his international career appears to be on hold for now.