Wydad Athletic Club attacker Thembinkosi Lorch has opened up about his experience under coach Rulani Mokwena at the Casablanca outfit. Lorch joined Wydad on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns in January.
Following the departure of Mokwena at Sundowns, Lorch struggled for game time. The 31-year-old then switched to the Moroccan giants, reuniting with Mokwena, whom he also worked with at Orlando Pirates.
His loan agreement with Wydad ends after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. ‘Nyoso’ is expected to feature for The Red Castle when they face Manchester City FC at 6PM on Wednesday as the three-time African champions begin their Club World Cup journey.
Lorch acknowledged that joining the Moroccan side as a relatively unknown player posed challenges. However, he found comfort in knowing he could always turn to Mokwena for guidance.
THEMBINKOSI LORCH ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH RULANI MOKWENA
“It’s not easy coming from South Africa to Morocco, where in South Africa everyone knows me, so when I came here, nobody knew me, I had to adjust, my teammates and coaches welcomed me well in the team and even the supporters, I have fitted in well,” Lorch said.
“I worked with coach Rulani even before Sundowns. I used to play for Pirates, where he coached me, and when he went to Sundowns, he fetched me from Pirates to Sundowns.
“So, I think he’s like a brother to me, a father figure, a friend. Every time I had problems, I would go to him for advice. He made it easier for me to fit well into the team.”
Lorch then shared insights about their trip to the United States, urging their passionate fanbase to rally behind them after a lacklustre domestic season that ended without any silverware. They face a challenging Group G, which includes Juventus, Al Ain, and City.
“I think it’s going to be nice, it’s going to be a good experience, and I would like to see Wydad fans coming all the way to support us, it will be very motivating for us to keep going,” Lorch added. “We need them…we need their support, when they are at the stadium, we have extra motivation, so we need all of them.”
RELATED STORY: Amrabat joins Wydad to play alongside Lorch and Mailula