Hugo Broos rules out Thembinkosi Lorch from 2026 World Cup

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has effectively shut the door on Thembinkosi Lorch’s hopes of making the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stressing that team continuity and long-standing trust within the group will outweigh recent club form.

With South Africa’s final squad selection for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada approaching, the Belgian tactician has drawn a firm line in the selection debate surrounding the experienced attacker.

Lorch has enjoyed a notable resurgence since his move to North Africa following spells at Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, and his performances have reignited public calls for his return to the national team.

However, Broos remains unconvinced that the timing of his resurgence aligns with the structure he has carefully built within the Bafana Bafana setup over recent years.

Addressing the issue on 947 with Robert Marawa, Broos acknowledged the external pressure but made his position clear on Lorch’s international future.

“Firstly, I think he [Lorch] has many supporters because it’s already been four months that people have been talking about him, but people forget what Lorch did in the last two years,” Broos said.

“He was leaving Pirates, not because you are a star; he went to Sundowns, and then he left Sundowns. I think he was happy when he was with Rhulani [Mokwena] in Morocco, where he could score.

“And now I’m honest; he’s playing well, but if you take Lorch, tell me who doesn’t go to the World Cup. Knowing that he’s a player who plays behind the striker, tell me [who must remain behind?],” he asked.

Broos further expanded on his philosophy of squad stability, indicating that rewarding continuity is central to his selection approach, especially at a major tournament where cohesion often outweighs individual form.

“I can’t go with 26 players; tell me [who has to go out]. It’s very difficult to take a player who was never with us and drop a player who was always with us. Therefore, the choice we make is not always a sporting choice; it can be that the guys who have always been with us didn’t disappoint, so why should we change that?” the Bafana coach asked.

The remarks underline Broos’ commitment to the core group that has carried Bafana Bafana through qualifying and recent competitive fixtures.

While Lorch’s form has sparked debate among supporters and analysts, the coach’s stance suggests that only players deeply embedded in his system will be trusted on football’s biggest stage.