Overseas door for Lorch still open?

Thembinkosi Lorch could still see his wish of playing overseas materialised… however, his representative has indicated that any discussion of a transfer abroad is premature at this point time.

At the end of last season, Lorch was strongly linked with an over-seas switch. The Buccaneer topped his impressive 2018/19 season off with the Absa Premiership Footballer of the Season award under the mentorship of coach Milutin Sredojevic.

The Bloemfontein-born player’s performances helped the Buccaneers finish second on the Absa Premiership log standings behind eventual winners Mamelodi Sundowns, scoring 13 goals in 28 matches in all competitions for the Soweto giants. At the end of the season, Lorch was linked to French club Toulouse and Club Brugge from Belgium, amongst other clubs.

Having struggled with form at the start of this campaign, the 26-year-old had shown signs of last season’s form shortly before the close of the league due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Coach Josef Zinnbauer had been mentoring the attacker, after Lorch had scored only three goals in his 21 appearances in all competitions this season.

Despite his loss of form this season, there is talk that a move abroad could still happen in the future. The player’s representative, Jazzman Mahlakgane, said the player’s opportunities will be looked at after COVID-19. “Talking about overseas and anything like that right now, I think that’s premature. Nobody even knows when those overseas clubs are going to resume playing,” said the representative.

“It’s better to wait and see what’s going to happen post-COVID-19. Let’s wait and see when football is going to resume. But, like any other player, he (Lorch) is an ambitious boy and he’s got an ambitious agency and let’s see,” said Mahlakgane.