Thembinkosi Lorch was initially listed on Orlando Pirates’ Champions League roster, but following his move to Mamelodi Sundowns, is he eligible to feature for his new club in the competition?
Lorch completed his move to Sundowns from Orlando Pirates on the 26th of January. In this one, Sundowns completed a deadline-day transfer coup, sending shockwaves in the SA football landscape.
Lorch, though, was previously registered for the CAF Confederations Cup by Orlando Pirates. However, the 30-year-old did not feature in their ill-fated African Safari campaign due to injury.
Pirates played Comoros’ Djabal FC before being booted out of the tournament by Botswana’s Jwaneng Galaxy.
WHY LORCH IS ELIGIBLE FOR SUNDOWNS CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCHES
According to the CAF rules, a player who did not feature for his former team will not be considered cup-tied.
This means Lorch remains eligible for Mamelodi Sundowns’ CAF matches, starting with Saturday’s group match against Nouadhibou. He made his debut for the Tshwane giants on Saturday against the Buccaneers.
Section 5 of the rules states that:” Starting from the 21st of July of the year of the start of the competition. No player can be replaced from the list.
“However, the federations are allowed to replace 4 players in the last period of registration. If the said players have never been fielded in any of the CAF interclub matches of the actual season.
“The federations will have the right to add players from the 21st and 31st of July. And these players will only be qualified as of the second Preliminary round and onwards.”
CAF further states that: “For the players who are registered between the 21st and 31st of July and qualified only from the second preliminary round, the ITC must reach CAF by the 31st of July.
“Every player whose transfer certificate will arrive late could be qualified on the condition that the date of the transfer certificate is anterior to 20th of July.
“For the players qualified from the 1st round, 31st of July for the players qualified from the Second Preliminary round. And 31st January for the complementary license,” reads the statutes.
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