Going from Pirates to Sundowns has been so rare in that time that the number of players who have travelled that road can be counted on one hand.
We look back at how those moves panned out.
Gift Leremi
Moved: 2007/08 season
The story of the talented attacking midfielder ended in tragedy when he was killed in a car accident on 3 September 2007, just months after signing for Sundowns from Pirates.
The 22-year-old had played only five times for his new club at the time of his death, having shown his incredible talent at Pirates since making his debut in the 2002/03 season. His remains a story of what might have been, as South African football was robbed of a prodigious talent.
Lebohang Mokoena
Moved: 2007/08 season
Soweto-born and bred, ‘Cheeseboy’ Mokoena was a star for Pirates, scoring 14 goals in 66 starts after making his debut in the 2003/04 campaign. He signed for Sundowns in 2009 but never quite managed to nail down a regular starting place over the next seven years.
When he left for Ajax Cape Town in 2016, he had made 67 starts and scored 17 goals, a similar return to his time at Pirates. He later joined Moroka Swallows.
Teko Modise
Moved: 2010/11 season
Modise was a fan favourite at Pirates, admired for his skill and footballing intelligence after joining the club in 2007 from SuperSport United. He spent four years with The Buccaneers, during which time he won the PSL Footballer of the Year award in back-to-back seasons.
The relationship soured towards the end as Pirates refused to sell the attacking midfielder despite widespread interest, but he eventually made the switch to Sundowns in January 2011.
He went on to win the CAF Champions League, two domestic league titles and several other knockout trophies in his six-and-a-half years at the club before moving to Cape Town City in the twilight of his career.
Modise made 86 starts for Pirates, scoring 12 goals, and a further 155 starts for Sundowns, netting 31 goals. He remains a popular figure in the local game and is now a pundit and analyst.
Oupa Manyisa
Moved: 2017/18 season
It was a major shock for Pirates fans when Manyisa made the switch to Sundowns in 2017, though it was a move that never truly worked out.
The diminutive midfielder had spent almost a decade in the colours of The Buccaneers and was an experienced leader when he signed a three-year deal with the Chloorkop club.
He made 240 starts for Pirates, scoring 31 goals, and was a key part of their ‘Double Treble’ success between 2010 and 2012.
However, he battled to secure a regular starting place at Sundowns beyond his first season and managed just 32 starts and one goal across three campaigns.
Thembinkosi Lorch
Moved: 2023/24 season
Lorch was brought to Sundowns by then coach Rulani Mokwena after his previously successful career at Pirates began to tail off during the 2023/24 season. He had barely played for The Buccaneers that year, making his January 2024 move another surprise.
He later followed Mokwena to Wydad Casablanca and has continued to be a key performer for the Moroccan club despite the coach’s subsequent departure.
Lorch had joined Pirates from Maluti FET College in 2015 and was initially loaned out to Cape Town All Stars and then Chippa United. His form earned him a recall in January 2017, after which he became a fixture in the Pirates side.
He made 147 starts for the club, scoring 34 goals.
The move to Sundowns never fully materialised, however, as he was widely viewed as ‘Rulani’s man’ and never seemed fully embraced by all at the club. In 18 months, he started 14 matches and scored four goals.