Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Brian Baloyi hopes national team head coach Hugo Broos will be lenient towards midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch and include him in his selections between now and the World Cup in June.
Baloyi feels the Wydad Casablanca player would significantly boost Bafana’s offensive dimension.
Baloyi said 32-year-old Lorch’s attacking prowess, flair, creativity and ability to perform in high-pressure situations were some of the missing aspects of Bafana’s recent Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) campaign, where they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Cameroon.
Lorch has been in good goal-scoring and assist form for Moroccan giants Wydad in the Botola Pro and performed well in the Fifa Club World Cup in 2025.
Those efforts have not been enough to convince Broos to recall him.
Lorch last featured for South Africa in June 2022.
When questioned about the exclusion of Lorch in his squads leading up to Afcon, Broos said: “You have to make choices …”
“This is not the future. I’m very sorry … Even though he’s playing well in Morocco, I don’t see any reason to take him with the team.”
Baloyi, who made 24 appearances for Bafana, hopes Broos will change his mind regarding the former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns player.
“We want to see the best team on the pitch for Bafana and the best attacking players.
“We have been playing attacking football, but we need to take it up a gear in the next four or five months,” he said.
“We need some new inclusions to the team to do that. I’m hopeful the coach can be a bit lenient towards Lorch. He is currently playing well, and he should be given a chance in the next friendlies.”
We want to see the best team on the pitch for Bafana and the best attacking players.
— Brian Baloyi, former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper
After Bafana’s early Afcon exit, Broos said the team had a disadvantage against teams with European-based squads, such as Cameroon.
He said those countries were sharper because of their overseas pros compared to the Premier Soccer League’s quality players.
He said there was a huge gap in top-level experience.
Broos said the European competitions built the tactical and physical resilience needed for major tournaments.
Baloyi says Broos’s comments were merely an excuse.
“The timing to say that was wrong. When you say that immediately after a tournament, it comes out as an excuse,” he said.
“He has been with us for many years now, and he has never said that. Then you come and say it after a tournament. I think the less said about the topic, the better.
“We have good enough players who play here in South Africa. Just because some are playing in Europe does not mean they are better than those playing here.
“Let’s hope Broos sticks to his words since he got here of selecting players based on form, not because you have an advantage if you are playing in Europe.”
“Spiderman” Baloyi stands with pundits and former players who said Broos needed to play an attacking brand of football heading into the World Cup.
He said the team were uptight and defensive at Afcon and moved away from the offensive style they had been playing in the lead-up to the continental tournament.
Bafana are in the World Cup Group A with Mexico, South Korea and will either play the Uefa World Cup qualifier playoff winner between Denmark, Czechia, North Macedonia or the Republic of Ireland.
These teams are known for their tactical discipline and attacking prowess.
Baloyi wants Bafana to fight fire with fire up front.
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