Thembinkosi Lorch marked his return to Orlando Pirates by helping the side reach the next round of the Nedbank Cup by beating Motsepe Foundation Championship side All Stars 2-0 at Wits Stadium on Saturday.
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It was Lorch’s first game since his injury last year in August, and the forward made an impact as the Sea Raiders cruised past a stubborn All Stars side with Monnapule Saleng scoring the first goal for the Pirates.
The first few minutes did not go well for Pirates, as they suffered an injury to Goodman Mosele, who was immediately replaced by Ndabayitethwa Ndlondlo. However, that did not change the Bucs’ setup.
The giants of Soweto were expected to dominate the tie, but surprisingly, the All Stars held their own and the team had the lion’s share when it came to ball possession.
But there were no clear-cut chances created by either side, with a significant chance only coming in the 29th minute for the home side, but Sabelo Nyembe stopped after breaking into the Bucs box.
A few minutes later, Sandile Mthethwa thought he had scored for the Buccaneers, but he was ruled offside, as the team went into the half-time break with the game still goalless.
The second period was everything for the team, and Pirates were unlucky not to take the lead on 55 minutes after a long-range strike by Ndlondlo was parried by Ayanda Mtshali at the Stars pole, before Terrence Dzvukamanja followed through. – up from the rebound, but the ball ends up out.
The Buccaneers finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute thanks to Saleng, who slotted in from close range to make it 1-0, before coach Jose Riveiro was sent off.
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After coming on as a second-half substitute, Lorch then marked his return with a fine goal after making a fine move to make it 2-0 to the visitors in the 71st minute.
The game got off to a rough start for the home side, with the Buccaneers looking eager to add more, but two goals were enough for the Pirates with Makhehleni Makhaula making his first appearance for the club.