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Cape Town - Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Oupa Manyisa admits he doesn't know what type of reception he will receive upon returning to face the club with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Manyisa, 29, joined the Brazilians in the off-season after a decade of service for the Buccaneers, having graduated from the club's academy.
An integral part of the club's success, the box-to-box midfielder won the historic double treble with Bucs between 2010 and 2012.
However, after losing form during Pirates' recent decline, the home supporters used the former captain as a scapegoat to vent their frustrations, despite winning every domestic honour on offer for the club and silver medals from the CAF 2013 Champions League and 2015 CAF Confederation Cup.
"I don't know how I feel about coming to Orlando for the first time with the away team," Manyisa told IOL website.
"But these things are part of football. People move on. I gave my all to Pirates in the years I spent with them. Pirates changed my life. I arrived here as a boy and left as a man.
"For a long time, I didn't know anything but Pirates. I don't know what type of response I will get from the fans. I have seen them boo some former players when they come back and I have seen them cheer some players. The good thing for me is that I left on a good note having won everything there is to win in the PSL."
Asked whether he has any doubts that his move to Chloorkop may have been a mistake due to their recent poor run of form, the South Africa international was blunt in his response as they prepare to face the Soweto giants this week.
"I don't have any regrets about this move," Manyisa said. "You can't grow as a player and as a person if you live with regrets. It's been hard with the challenges that we have faced as a team. We just need to be focused to move out of this slump. We have the quality to get us out of it.
"Even though it's going to be tough, I shouldn't let my emotions get the better of me against Pirates. I have a job to do for my new club and that's what I intend to do."
Kick off is at 19:30.
