Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena surprisingly didn’t wax lyrical about Thembinkosi Lorch’s match-winning performance against Maritzburg United, saying he is unhappy with the star player.
Mokwena’s troops secured their place in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals thanks to a dominant performance by Lorch. The highly-rated attacker bagged a crucial brace on Sunday night, leading his team to a 2-0 victory over Maritzburg at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
After a slow start to his Sundowns career, Lorch displayed flashes of his old brilliance, scoring in the 74th and 95th minutes against The Team of Choice. This impressive performance earned him a well-deserved Man of the Match award.
By most measures, three goals and an assist in seven games across competitions would be considered a solid start for the midfielder who arrived from Orlando Pirates in the January transfer window. However, Mokwena isn’t entirely satisfied with Lorch’s performances, hinting that there’s still room for improvement.
RULANI ON LORCH: ‘HE IS STILL NOT AT HIS BEST’
“Lorch, Am I happy? No, but I’m quietly content, and he knows I want more, and that’s from everybody,” said Mokwena.
“…I’m always that guy. I want more from myself. I hold myself to very high standards and demand a lot from myself, so I also demand a lot from the players.
“We have to be patient; sometimes society is so impatient. We have to be patient with Lorch. He is still not at his best, and that’s just my opinion. I think he can do more, but I’m happy as I gradually see improvements.
With Mokwena wanting more from all his troops, the former PSL Player of the Season, Lorch, revealed that the tactician had been demanding during training sessions.
Lorch acknowledges Mokwena’s belief in his potential, stating that the coach expects him to improve his goalscoring output.
“The coach was hard on me during the week for not scoring the goals. I’m getting the balls, but I’m not shooting enough, and he was hard on me,” said Lorch.
“I’m happy I scored two goals. I’d like to thank the coach for being patient with me.
“It wasn’t easy for me, coming from Pirates to Sundowns. I had to settle in and thanks to the guys.”
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