After playing the game of their lives against English Premier League Manchester City,
Wydad Athletic duo Thembinkosi Lorch and Cassius Mailula will be back in action when they face Italian powerhouse Juventus at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this afternoon. Kick-off is at 6pm.
All eyes will be on the two South Africans, who are having a ball at the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup in the US.
Against Pep Guardiolla’s all-conquering City, Lorch had a fantastic outing and match statistics say that he was one of the best players on the field.
His teammate Mailula also had a decent game and a sniff at goal. Sadly, they lost the match 2-0.
Against Juventus tonight, they have another opportunity to charm the world and impress scouts who are fishing for talent at the prestigious tournament. In their opening last week, Juventus were able to panel beat United Arab Emirates’ Al Ain 5-0 in Washington.
So, Wydad will have to be on top of their game to avoid a massacre in Philadelphia.
Lorch and Mailula were taken to Wydad, in Casablanca, Morocco, by former
Wydad coach Rulani Mokwena, who was sadly forced to part ways with the club towards the end of last season.
Mokwena’s dream of coaching at the Club World Cup was shattered with only a few weeks to go before the start of the tournament. He is also a former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi
Sundowns trainer.
During his stint at Wydad, Mokwena roped in Lorch, who was having a torrid time at Sundowns, and the star midfielder grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Mailula, on loan at Wydad, was also not getting enough game time in Major League Soccer with
Toronto FC.
The duo impressed against City so much so that SA fans are calling for their inclusion in Bafana Bafana. Against City world-class players, Lorch used his dribbling tricks to bamboozle defenders of the former Premier League and Uefa Champions League champions.
He almost scored what would have been a contender for goal of the tournament when he chipped the ball from the centre. but the goalkeeper pulled off a good save.
