South African attackers Cassius Mailula and Thembinkosi Lorch were in action on Wednesday as Wydad Athletic Club played Manchester City in the Fifa Club World Cup.
The English heavyweights dominated the proceedings, eventually getting rewarded courtesy of Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku's strikes. It was a good start for the Citizens, who took control of Group G, which is also made up of Juventus and Al Ain.
Mailula gave his best but did not have the desired impact, explaining why he was subbed after the break. However, Lorch gave a good account of himself, lasting 84 minutes before being subbed. Lorch had a better day as opposed to his countryman and could have easily grabbed an assist and a goal on another day.
His exploits caught the attention of former Bafana Bafana internationals Shaun Bartlett and Bongani Khumalo, who believe the Mamelodi Sundowns attacker did enough to underline his worth and quality.
‘Lorch was all over the pitch'
“Lorch had quite a productive day on the field. I was quite disappointed when they took him off, obviously managing him as a player,” Bartlett said in his analysis on SuperSport TV.
“But I think overall he tried his best. He was all over the pitch, being influential, taking shots from long range, and even setting up Cassius in the first half. I think it was just that final product that never came for Wydad,” he concluded.
Khumalo echoed what had been said, “Wonderful start from him. He truly is an important player for Wydad. If he stays fit, I think his coach was saving his legs for the next fixture for him to go for it.
“City were in the lead, the game sort of died out, so save his legs, keep his energy alive. It's tournament football, three games go by very quickly, and it’s a game every three days. It’s important to remain fresh.”
The next assignment for Wydad Casablanca will be on Sunday, June 22, against Juventus.
