Written in the stars?

Johannesburg - Orlando Pirates supporters are eagerly awaiting a second star to be added to their club crest, but what does a star represent and what will it mean for the Buccaneers?

The first soccer team to add a star to their club's badge was Italian Serie A outfit Juventus in 1958, to commemorate winning 10 league titles.

Since then, Juventus have gone on to win the Serie A 19 times, bringing their tally to 29, though they could have had 31 were they not stripped of their 2004/05 and 2005/06 titles following a major Italian match-fixing scandal.

But adding a star to a team's crest or jersey is not an action sanctioned by world body Fifa, or any other controlling body.

It is a decision taken by a club to celebrate winning an important trophy or tournament.

In a bold decision taken by Orlando Pirates in 1995, the Soweto giants added a star to their club crest even before beating ASEC Abidjan of the Ivory Coast 3-2 in a two-legged final to become the only South African team to have won the Champions League title.

This week, a host of Pirates players have emphasised their desire to add a second star to their emblem, by beating Al-Ahly in the Champions League final.

"It’ll be good for the club to add the second star first and foremost," midfielder Dane Klate said earlier this week.

Goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa echoed his teammate's sentiments.

"Every South African is behind us, we need to do our best in order to get the star," the 26 year-old-said.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed chief executive of the Premier Soccer League Brand de Villiers also expressed his desire to see the Sea Robbers add another star.

“Orlando Pirates have been brilliant so far, now they need to get that second star," De Villiers said.

Come Saturday, however, Pirates would be up against a team which boast no fewer than nine stars on their club crest.

Ahly have three stars at the top of their badge, representing 30+ Egyptian Premier League titles, while at the bottom, the Cairo 'Red Devils' have six stars, representing their Champions League trophies.

Ahly had, in fact, won a record seven African titles but had yet to add the seventh to their crest, most likely due to a lack of space.

In contrast, South Africa's Bafana Bafana have chosen never to add a star to their jersey, despite having won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996.

Teams such as Brazil (5), Italy (4) and Germany (3) all display their stars, symbolising their World Cup titles, while Uruguay, who have won two World Cups, have four stars on their crest.

The two additional stars represent two Olympic titles (1924 and 1928).