Thembinkosi Lorch continued his strong showing at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, netting Wydad AC’s lone goal in their 4-1 defeat to Italian powerhouse Juventus.
Despite Lorch’s individual brilliance, the loss effectively eliminated Wydad from the tournament in the group stage.
Juventus quickly established their dominance, taking an early 2-0 lead. An unfortunate deflection by Wydad’s Abdelmounaim Boutouil resulted in an own goal after just six minutes, followed by a stunning strike from Kenan Yildiz ten minutes later.
Read: We showed we could compete against the best – Ronwen Williams
Nevertheless, Lorch, a constant threat for Wydad throughout the match, offered his side a glimmer of hope. In the 26th minute, the former Orlando Pirates star showcased his skill with a delicate chip over Juventus goalkeeper Michele De Gregorio, bringing the score to 2-1.
Speaking to FIFA’s media team after the match, Lorch reflected on the experience: “We face the best teams in the world and we learn. There is a good team spirit. We’ve learned a lot of things. We don’t dwell on the defeat, but on all the experience gained. I thank the fans, they give everything for us.”
Juventus, demonstrating their superior quality, extended their lead further in the 69th minute with another goal from eventual man of the match Yildiz, effectively putting the game beyond Wydad’s reach.
Wydad’s other South African representative, Cassius Mailula, entered the fray in the 78th minute as a substitute. The Italian giants then sealed their comprehensive victory in stoppage time, with Dusan Vlahovic converting a penalty to compound Wydad’s misery.
The defeat leaves Wydad AC with zero points from two games in Group G, meaning they have been all but mathematically eliminated from advancing. Juventus now leads the group with six points, a position they share with Manchester City.
Despite their elimination, Lorch’s impressive performance remains a bright spot for Wydad. He will be looking to build on this form in their final group stage match against Al-Ain. With qualification out of reach, Wydad will undoubtedly be playing for pride in this upcoming fixture. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at the Audi Field.