Orlando Pirates duo Tapelo Xoki and Olisa Ndah have opened on the shock transfer of talisman Thembinkosi Lorch to rivals Mamelodi Sundowns.
Perhaps one of the biggest twits in the transfer market in recent memory saw star Lorch make a January switch to The Brazilians on the very last day of the window period.
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Coincidentally, Lorch's first match for Sundowns would come against his old side, as the AFL winners hosted The Buccaneers at Loftus Versfeld in February, a match that would end in a 1-1 draw.
Speaking on the first episode of Bucs camp season 2, Tapelo Xoki admitted he was concerned about coming against his former teammate.
"For me, I was worried, I won't lie," Xoki said.
"I was worried for the players that had relationships with him and for a young player like Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng] because he (Lorch) is someone he looks up to and he is his idol.
"I was kind of worried about how he would react to his departure and the pressure that was going to be on his shoulders because a lot of people had started the conversation that he was going to be our next Lorch.
"So, for a young man like that you wonder, is it too soon to put that kind of pressure on him? But luckily for us, I think the guys (Pirates players) have managed well with that news where they didn't really let it affect them.
"It was a game to start the year properly because we didn't end the year properly.
"Obviously losing Lorch was a big loss for us as a team. He was a very important part of us and he was playing wonderfully well for us.
"We knew the importance and value he had within the team.
"Even though he didn't speak much, we knew a lot of people that he carried along, as a team."
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Pirates eventually went on to finish second on the DStv Premiership table, 23 points behind league winners Sundowns.
The Sea Robbers though would walk away with the winners' medal when the two teams met in the Nedbank Cup final, with Mofokeng scoring a dramatic last-minute winner in a 2-1 victory.
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