Iphinde yenza edume ngazo iMamelodi Sundowns nakulo mtsha unyaka. Yothuse umzi ngethuba ithatha omnye wabadlali abaphambili kwi’Orlando Pirates, uThembinkosi Lorch. Lo nto ibashiye benyembezana abalandeli bePirates ngoba uLorch ibingumdlali osenyongweni kubo.
Ukuthengwa kukaLorch kuthe gqi ngosuku lokugqibela lokuthengwa kwabadlali futhi kwagqitywa phambi kweeyure zokugqibela zenyoba yokuthengwa kwabadlali. Ethetha kwikhasi lomnatha leqela elitsha, uLorch uthe ibisoloko iyinto esengqondweni yakhe ukudlalale iintshatsheli zeDStv Premiership.
Abalandeli bePirates abamxhasileyo onzakele ixesha elide bashiyeke bephoxekile – kodwa akukho nto abangayenza ngoba uLorch ukhethe ukuwelela ePitoli. “Ibisolo ingumnqweno wam ukudlalela iqela elifana neSundowns.
“Kuyandivuyisa ukubalapha kwam,” utshilo uLorch ofunyenwe yinkundla enetyala lokuphatha kakubi inenekazi awayethandana nalo. ULorch, 30, ulandela ekhondweni labadlali abafana nooLebohang Mokoena, Oupa Manyisa, Gift Leremi, Vilakazi noTeko Modise abashiya iPirates bevutha baya kwiSundowns.
Iingxelo zithi uLorch umke izikhulu zeBucs zingathandi ngoba ebengafuni ukutyikitya isivumelwano esitsha. Baye banyanzeleka ukuba bamthengise ukuze angahambi simahla xa kuphela isizini. “UThembinkosi Lorch uza kuhamba kwiPirates emva kweengxoxo ebeziphakathi koSihlalo uGqirha Irvin Khoza nabaphathi beSundowns.
“Iqela liyalibulela igalelo elenziwe nguNyoso futhi limnqwenelela okuhle kodwa,” itshilo iPirates kwisaziso esikhuphileyo. Nangona uLorch ekhathazwe kukonzakala eminyakeni egqithileyo – kodwa uhamba efumene iindebe zeMTN8 neNedbank ezizuzwe yiPirates uninzi lwazo phantsi kukaJose Riveiro.
UNyoso ugaleleke kwiSundowns nabanye abadlali abaquka uMatias Esquivel osuka kwiClub Atletico Lanus yase’Argentina noTashreeq Matthews obedlala eSweden. Emva kokuhamba kwakhe, ushiye umyalezo abulele ngawo inkxaso ayifumeneyo ngethuba esengumdlali wePirates.
“Ndifuna ukubulela uSihlalo, uGqirha Irvin Khoza, ngokundinika ithuba lokudlalela iqela elinembali etyebileyo njengePirates. Ndibulela umqeqeshi, uJose Riveiro, ngokusithemba isakhono sam sokudlala ibhola, ndibulele abadlali naye wonke umntu ebendinaye kwiPirates. Kakhulu ndifuna ukubulela abalandeli ngokundixhasa, ibiliwonga kum ukunxiba isikipha sePirates,” utshilo uLorch.
Ishishini leemoto eMpuma Koloni liza kuxhamla kutyalo-mali lweR200-million