SOWETAN SAYS | Lorch has not learnt any lessons

Thembinkosi Lorch has again been in the news for all the wrong reasons this week.

The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder was widely criticised for an Instagram video in which he was seen dancing provocatively with two women, in what looked like celebrations after the club were crowned DStv Premiership champions at the weekend.

Lorch has previously attracted negative headlines, with his publicised conviction for domestic violence, and we thought his move from Orlando Pirates to Sundowns would shape him into a more thoughtful, professional footballer.

Instead, the midfielder seemingly has not learnt any lessons. His coach Rulani Mokwena yesterday announced Lorch would miss tomorrow’s Nedbank Cup final due to injury, but we suspect even if he were fit, the player would not have been anywhere near the Sundowns matchday squad, thanks to trending for the wrong reasons.

Footballers have every right to celebrate, as Lorch did. Just two weeks ago, pictures of Manchester City stars leaving a pub in the wee hours after they had annexed the English Premiership for a record fourth time in a row were circulated on social media.

The difference, however, was that these players didn’t use their social media accounts to go live drinking and dancing provocatively with women. They were snapped by curious onlookers, not even with a drink in sight.

Lorch should have known better to behave in such a manner, especially as he has been at Sundowns for less than six months after transferring only in January. Last week’s league medal was his first in his career, which has taken a tremendous knock from the days he was PSL player of the year, and when he was banging in goals for Bafana Bafana at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

It goes without saying that his lifestyle has contributed immensely to his lack of off-field discipline. We thought Sundowns, as the most successful team in the PSL with strict discipline protocols, would be able to put him back in line. But it appears that Mokwena and his team will have to do more.

Behaving responsibly, however, lies squarely on the player. It was he who decided to invite millions of social media users into his life, while in that state. Mokwena later told us the player saw his error and apologised. But perhaps more should be done to avoid a situation where he completely self-destructs.