Wydad Casablanca winger Thembinkosi Lorch could make a comeback to Orlando Pirates if Rulani Mokwena becomes the club’s new head coach.
Mokwena is the frontrunner to replace Jose Riveiro after the Spaniard left for Al Ahly last month. Lorch and Mokwena have history — they worked together briefly at Pirates in 2019 before reuniting at Mamelodi Sundowns five years later. Mokwena’s stint in Morocco was cut short when Wydad terminated his contract.
“Lorch is incredibly talented, and everyone knows that,” Mokwena told iDiski Times.
“He’s a player I really like in the attacking third because he has many weapons. When he’s firing on all cylinders, he can change the game.”
Mokwena added that Lorch’s adaptation at Wydad has been slow. “I think he should be scoring more. I’ve told him that. We worked on his movement and positioning. He knows how to finish and find the right spaces around the box.”
Although Mokwena hasn’t said much about Lorch’s possible return to Pirates, he didn’t rule it out. He did highlight some areas where Lorch needs to improve.
“His legs don’t allow him to make those deep runs like before, so he has to be more patient with his movements — receiving the ball and timing his runs better than earlier in his career,” Mokwena explained.
He also spoke about Wydad’s tactical setup in recent friendlies, where Lorch has had to defend more, playing deeper and covering the wide left channel.
If Mokwena takes charge at Pirates, a reunion with Lorch — a player he clearly admires — might be on the cards.
