All eyes will be at the iconic FNB Stadium on 9 March at 3PM when South African Football giants Orlando Pirates lock horns with Kazier Chiefs in the second instalment of this season’s Soweto derby. A lot has changed since these two sides met earlier in the season.
Former Orlando Pirates winger Thembinkosi ‘Nyoso’ Lorch shocked the South African football fraternity when he left Pirates to join the defending league champions Mamelodi Sundowns during the January transfer window after spending almost a decade with Amabhakaniya.
Following an impressive showing at Chippa United, Pirates snatched Lorch in the 2016/2017 season and he quickly became a fan favourite due to his exceptional skills, ball control abilities as well as dribbling. He quickly cemented his place in the team’s starting XI and became a regular feature for the Buccaneers.
Affectionally known as ‘Nyoso’ in the footballing community, he has provided the fans with some unforgettable Soweto derby memories. He made his derby debut in his first season at the club on 3/4/2017 in a match that ended in a 1-1 stalemate and played for 66 minutes before being substituted. His last participation in a match against Amakhosi was on 11 November where his side edged out the rivals 1-0 through Evidence Makgopa’s goal. This was a match that Lorch played a full 90-minutes and was an integral part in the club’s victory.
Prior to ending his spell with Orlando Pirates, he had featured in 15 derby matches of which Orlando Pirates came out victorious in seven, coming out short in five while the other three ended in stalemates. Lorch found the back of the net five times while playing against the club’s biggest rivals.
His most notable performance in the derby was in the Carling Black Label Cup which took place on 27 July 2019 where Pirates dominated the game and eased past Amakhosi 2-0 to lift the trophy. Lorch sealed off Pirates’ victory with a thunderous right-foot strike which the keeper had no chance of saving just twelve minutes after Augustine Mulenga’s opening goal.
While most fans expressed their frustrations over his departure, players including Relebohile Mofokeng who scored in their recent match against Cape Town Spurs and Patrick Maswanganyi have stepped up and looked to be on the right path towards being Nyoso’s permanent replacements. It will be interesting to see who coach Jose Riveiro will replace Lorch with on his starting lineup against the Glamour Boys side this Saturday.
Written by Siphesihle Soni