Thembinkosi Lorch. Image from@Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
Orlando Pirates should be embarrassed that Lorch is still on their books
It’s safe to say that Thembinkosi Lorch divides opinion. Orlando Pirates are better off looking for a replacement.
Thembinkosi Lorch. Image from@Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
Thembinkosi Lorch has produced a few dazzling moments for Orlando Pirates and even Bafana Bafana. However, they’re few and far between.
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Either because of off-field controversies or persistent injuries, Thembinkosi Lorch has struggled to get any meaningful minutes under his belt. Also, let’s be real, even when he was fit and available, when last did he perform in an Orlando Pirates or Bafana Bafana jersey? We keep hearing he’s a key player and a “superstar” for the Buccaneers but is that even true anymore? Injuries have ravaged his career for the last couple of seasons but even when he’s in the side, he’s not a reliable option, nor is he a consistent one. He hasn’t managed more than ONE goal in any of his last four completed DStv Premiership campaigns. He’s also made just 45 appearances in the last three completed seasons, that’s exactly half the matches.
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LORCH’S BAFANA BAFANA HEROICS WERE A LONG TIME AGO
We all remember that stunning moment when Lorch broke Egyptian hearts to race clear and dump the 2019 AFCON costs out and send Bafana to the quarter-finals. That stunning July 2019 moment in Cairo feels like lifetimes ago. It will be a genuine shock if we see Lorch allowed to repeat those heroics in January 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire. The same can be said for his club career, with his most productive season coming in the 2018-19 campaign where he scored NINE goals and provided five assists from 26 PSL appearances. It’s been a gradual slide since then though. All of this, before we delve into his ongoing court appearances after being found guilty of assault.
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