Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has detailed the difficulty of selecting Thembinkosi Lorch for the final squad heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The Al-Ittihad SC star has remained a focal point of debate, with fans, pundits, and the media consistently questioning his exclusion from the Bafana Bafana setup. Lorch has successfully rediscovered the peak form that once made him a household name in the PSL, a resurgence that followed a challenging and ultimately unsuccessful stint at Mamelodi Sundowns just over a season ago.
The highly-rated attacker first hit his stride in the colours of Wydad Athletic Club after a January 2025 move from Chloorkop, where he reunited with South African tactician Rulani Mokwena. During his tenure at the Red Castle, Lorch produced several dazzling performances, including standout showings against European heavyweights Manchester City and Juventus during last year’s FIFA Club World Cup.
After proving his quality in Morocco—registering eight goals and four assists in 30 appearances—he was snapped up by Libyan Premier League ambitious side Al-Ittihad. The move allowed him to once again link up with Mokwena, who had taken the reins of the Libyan outfit just months prior.
The partnership between Lorch and Mokwena has become one of the most enduring in African football, spanning four different clubs: Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Wydad, and now Al-Ittihad. With the 32-year-old now back to the scintillating form that defined his prime at Pirates, Hugo Broos has faced a relentless barrage of questions regarding the playmaker’s continued omission from the national team.
WHAT BROOS SAID ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SELECTING IN THE BAFANA SQUAD FOR THE WORLD CUP
“In a recent interview on 947 with Robert Marawa, the Belgian mentor admitted that Lorch has been doing well, but explained that it is difficult to leave out the regulars who helped the team qualify for the World Cup.
“Firstly, I think he [Lorch] has many supporters because it’s already been four months that people have been talking about him, but people forget what Lorch did in the last two years,” Broos said. “He was leaving Pirates, not because you are a star; he went to Sundowns, then he left Sundowns. I think he was happy when he was with Rulani in Morocco, where he could score.
“And now I’m honest, he’s playing well, but if you take Lorch, tell me who doesn’t go to the World Cup. Knowing that he’s a player who plays behind the striker, tell me [who must remain behind?].
“I can’t go with 26 players, tell me [who has to go out]. It’s very difficult to take a player who was never with us and drop a player who was always with us. Therefore, the choice we make is not always a sporting choice; it can be that the guys who have always been with us didn’t disappoint, so why should we change that?”
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