The Lorch question: Broos offers frank reason for excluding Wydad star

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has offered a candid explanation for his persistent decision to overlook in-form winger Thembinkosi Lorch, even as the attacker enjoys a purple patch at Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club.

The Belgian coach, who recently announced his final 23-man squad for the upcoming friendly against Zambia, acknowledged Lorch’s current resurgence but cited age and a desire to build for the future as key factors in the snub.

The friendly against Zambia is a crucial component of Bafana’s preparation for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco this December. South Africa enters the tournament as one of the favourites, riding the momentum of clinching the bronze medal in the previous edition.

The Case Against Lorch

Despite Lorch delivering dazzling performances at the FIFA Club World Cup a few months ago and subsequently finding a rich vein of form—scoring four goals in eight matches across all competitions for Wydad—Broos remains unconvinced about including the player in his immediate plans.

Broos emphasised the need to look ahead, confirming that he does not see Lorch as part of the team’s long-term future.

“You know, you have to make choices. Lorch was once with us, I think three years ago… Now he’s playing good in Morocco, but you also have to look at his age,” Broos explained. “This is not a future, I’m very sorry.”

The experienced coach recalled Lorch’s fluctuating career path in South Africa, which included a period where he struggled for regular game time after transferring from Orlando Pirates to Mamelodi Sundowns.

No Immediate Need for a Return

Broos drew a parallel to his initial reluctance to call up Themba Zwane, who eventually returned to the squad due to a lack of viable alternatives. However, the coach maintained that the current situation is different, suggesting that the team currently possesses better options than Lorch.

“If I don’t have other options, maybe I should take him. It happened four years ago with Themba Zwane. I wanted to look for other options, but I didn’t find them, and I had to come back to Themba,” Broos stated.

He concluded his justification decisively: “But again, for Lorch at the moment, I don’t see any reason why I should call him into the team even if he has good performances.”

The final squad Broos named features a strong core of regulars, complemented by new names like Sekhukhune United’s Keletso Makgalwa and Orlando Pirates‘ Masindi Nemtajela, signalling that the coach is firmly sticking to his long-term selection philosophy ahead of AFCON.