NAKUBA kusaphele amasonto uThembinkosi Lorch esayine eqenjini lakhe elisha iMamelodi Sundowns kodwa uphumele obala ngokuthi ufisa ukuba sesikimini esizoqala umdlalo uma sebebhekene neqembu asuka kulona i-Orlando Pirates.
Umdlalo weDStv Premiership phakathi kwamaSandawana nezikaMagebhula, obhekwe ngabomvu, uzoqala ngo-8 ebusuku eLoftus Versfeld Stadium, ePitoli, kusasa.
ULorch (30), ususe umsindo ngasekupheleni kukaJanuwari, ngesikhathi eshiya eZimnyama, iqembu afika kulona ngo-2015 esuka kwiMaluti FET College.
“Ngiyayibonga i-Orlando Pirates nosihlalo weqembu uDkt. Irvin Khoza. Ngisayine kuyona ngineminyaka engu-22, ngashiya sengineminyaka engu-30. Iyohlala inendawo ekhethekile enhliziyweni yami,” kusho uLorch.
“Ngibonga nomengameli weMamelodi Sundowns ngokukholelwa kimina, anginike ithuba lokudlalela leli qembu eliphezulu kangaka. Ngihlose ukulenzela lukhulu.”
Ukuhlehliswa kwemidlalo obekumelewe idlalwe phakathi nesonto, kuholele ekutheni umdlalo wokuqala uLorch asethubeni lokuwudlala kube azowudlala nePirates. Ulindele ukuthi kube nzima ukubhekana neqembu abelithatha njengekhaya kodwa usekulungele ukuqala kabusha.
“Bangamukele ngezandla ezifudumele eqenjini futhi kuvunguza umoya omuhle kakhulu. Sonke sifisa ukudlala ngempelasonto ngoba sizobe sibhekene neqembu elikhulu. Wumdlalo omkhulu kodwa konke kulele ezandleni zomqeqeshi,” ubeke kanje.
“Kuzoba nzima ukudlala umdlalo wokuqala neqembu engisuka kulona kodwa kufanele siqhubekele phambili. Ngiyafisa ukuthi ngiwuqale umdlalo futhi ngenzele iqembu lami konke okusemandleni.”
Izinsuku zokugcina zikaLorch kwiPirates ziqondane nokuthi ubegqigqa enkantolo waze wagcina eselahlwe yicala lokushaya owayeyintombi yakhe. Umisiwe isikhashana ngemuva kokugwetshwa kodwa wagcina ebuyelile enkundleni ngoDisemba.
Umqeqeshi wakhe omusha, uRhulani Mokwena, uthe kuwumsebenzi wakhe ukulekelela abadlali bakhe ngezindlela eziningi, nokuyinto azoyenza nakuLorch.
“Ngenhlanhla kune-video esabalele ezinkundleni zokuxhumana lapho bengikhuluma khona naye. Kungenzeka ukuthi bakhona abazi kangcono ukuthi ngangithini kuyena. Angazi ukuthi ngizizwa kanjani ngalokho kodwa kulungile,” kusho uMokwena.
"Okunye okungijabulisayo wukuthi ngisondelene kakhulu nabadlali bami bonke. Ngibashayela ucingo noma yinini. Kunezikhathi lapho ngicabanga ukuthi kwesinye isikhathi babona ucingo lukhala bese becabanga bebodwa ukuthi ‘useqalile futhi umqeqeshi’, kodwa ngiyakwenza. Ngikwenza kubona bonke abadlali, nakuyena uLorch.
“Uma uLebo (Maboe) ebhekene nezikhathi ezinzima, kanjalo noPitso (Mkhulise), ngiyabaseka. Ngiyakwazi ukubona nokuzwa egazini uma kukhona okungahambi kahle, ngisho bengashongo lutho.
“Akukho okuzohluka ngoLorch. Ujoyine iqembu ekwazi ukuthi kufanele alilwele ilungelo lokudlala. Kumele alwe njengawo wonke umuntu ukuze athole indawo kuleli qembu,” uphethe kanje lo mqeqeshi.
ISundowns iseqhulwini kwi-log yePremiership ngamaphuzu angu-38 emuva kwemidlalo engu-14. IPirates isendaweni yesihlanu ngamaphuzu angu-25 emuva kwemidlalo engu-16. Ngesikhathi la maqembu egcina ukugadulisana, iSundowns ikhale ngaphansi sekukhahlelwa amaphenathi kowamanqamu weMTN8 eThekwini.