Mamelodi Sundowns Head coach Miguel Cardoso has provided insight into the exit of midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch, who recently joined Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca.
The Brazilians extended their lead at the top of the Betway Premiership table with a thumping 4-0 win over Lamontville Golden Arrows on Sunday at Lucas Moripe Stadium. Goals from Teboho Mokoena, Lucas Costa and Peter Shalulile (brace) were enough to see off Abafana Bes'thende.
READ | Nabi: He has been our best player but...
They had to do that job without the likes of Lorch and Lesiba Nku, who recently parted ways with the club.
For the former, the move was somewhat a surprise one, with Lorch having spent just a year at Chloorkop. Some might argue that the writing was on the wall for the 31-year-old, who had made just one appearance this season.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Cardoso revealed the primary reason behind the midfielder's exit.
"Regarding Lorch, as you might have imagined, he was not happy here," Cardoso said.
"It's important that the players must be happy. We cannot sustain players that are not in an environment where they feel they can perform. Sometimes, it's very important to give them the air. They need to breathe so that they can express themselves and also have the game-time because they need to play.
"Lorch is not a young player [anymore] and in the last [few] years, he has not played that much. So, it was important to let him go."
ALSO READ | Riveiro has his say on Tito's audacious penalty
Meanwhile, Lorch was unveiled by Wydad, completing a five-month loan move with the option to buy and reuniting for a third time with former coach Rulani Mokwena.