Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has admitted the door isn’t completely closed for Thembinkosi Lorch and others who were previously part of the squad.
Lorch, 31, has returned to the Sundowns first-team after an injury, where he’s scored seven goals with three assists in 23 games since joining the club from Orlando Pirates.
While his future was uncertain at Sundowns going into the new season, he’s seemingly working his way back into the plans and Broos was surprisingly asked in the pre-match press conference to face Congo Brazzaville about the mercurial talent.
“Lorch? You are speaking [about a player who was in the squad] two years ago, so I think I can mention another ten names who were us and the not with us anymore with us, I started to build a team three years ago,” Broos said ahead of the game.
“Maybe it’s hard for some players when I saw them and they didn’t satisfy me, then okay, I started looking for other ones. And now since, two years I have the team that I want, the right mentality, quality and so on.
“You saw the results we had, I don’t see the reason I should go, two years back and say oh yes, this one was also there, it’s the past, it’s not for these moments, but every player will have the possibility to come with us if they have good performances.
“If tomorrow Lorch starts making fantastic performances with Sundowns, then okay, why shouldn’t he be with us then? But that’s not the point today.”
Lorch last featured under Broos in their 2-1 defeat to Morocco back in September 2022 in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
