Kaizer Chiefs face age dilemma over possible Thembinkosi Lorch move

Kaizer Chiefs are reportedly considering a move for Al-Ittihad forward Thembinkosi Lorch, but the 33-year-old’s age could make the deal a significant risk for the South African club.

Lorch has been linked with a transfer to Amakhosi, as well as Moroccan clubs Wydad Casablanca and MAS Fes. The interest suggests he remains highly regarded, but Chiefs would have to decide whether his experience and quality outweigh the uncertainty of signing a player later in his career.

The Naturena-based club have generally avoided recruiting players well into their 30s. In South African football, clubs can find it increasingly difficult to negotiate contract extensions with older players, particularly once they pass the age of 30.

Chiefs did, however, break from that approach before the 2024/25 season when they signed Gaston Sirino as a free agent following the expiry of his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Sirino was 33 when he joined the club and was given the prestigious number 10 shirt. He made a promising start at Amakhosi, but his influence diminished around the middle of his first season, with injuries contributing significantly to his decline.

That signing made the Uruguay international the oldest player Chiefs had brought in during at least the previous 20 years. Before Sirino, the club’s oldest new arrival had been Cole Alexander, who was 32 when he joined ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Alexander’s move also reunited him with Stuart Baxter, his former coach at SuperSport United. Baxter was beginning his second spell in charge of the Soweto giants at the time.

Chiefs had previously taken a similar gamble on former midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi. He returned to the club aged 30 in July 2012 after joining from Golden Arrows.

Nkosi had initially left Chiefs for German side Arminia Bielefeld in 2007 before making his way back to Amakhosi five years later.

Several other established players also arrived at Chiefs when they were approaching the later stages of their careers. Katlego Mphela was 29 when he moved from Mamelodi Sundowns in January 2014.

Morgan Gould was the same age when he joined from SuperSport United in 2013, while Josta Dladla arrived from Mamelodi Sundowns in 2009, just one year short of his 30th birthday.

The examples underline the calculation Chiefs would face if they pursued Lorch. While his reported interest from several clubs indicates that he still possesses the ability to make an impact, the club’s previous experience with older signings shows that age, fitness and the length of any potential contract would all be important considerations.

A move for Lorch would therefore represent another departure from Chiefs’ usual preference for younger recruits. The club must determine whether the forward’s remaining quality can justify the risk associated with signing him at 33.