Lorch, Mailula and Mokwana ready to hoist the SA flag at Fifa Club World Cup

The FIFA Club World Cup is the ultimate tournament for interclub football as it is played by the best teams from across the world.

South Africa will be well represented in the upcoming event in the US after Mamelodi Sundowns’ qualification.

However, there’ll be other South African representatives from two other African giants, Wydad Casablanca and Esperance, who’ll be competing at the event.

Thembinkosi Lorch - Wydad Casablanca

Lorch has grabbed the lifeline that was offered to him by Wydad with both hands as he’s put his best foot forward since he arrived at the club last season.

He was not able to help the team finish in the Top 2 on the log and qualify for the Champions League next season as they could only claim a Confederation Cup spot.

Nevertheless, he had a memorable season, so much so that he was voted as the club’s Player of the Month for March.

Having been brought to the club by native coach Rulani Mokwena through a loan deal from Mameodi Sundowns, the duo showed great belief in each other.

As such, when Mokwena was sacked towards the end of the season, the future and impressive outing of Lorch at the club remained unclear.

But Lorch has taken Mokwena’s departure in good faith, continuing to be at his best with his skill-set.

And that’s why it’s been reported that Wydad wants to sign him permanently.

Cassius Mailula - Wydad Casablanca

When Mailula joined Major League Soccer (MLS) side Toronto two seasons ago, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos said that move wouldn’t benefit his career.

And that proved to be the case - Mailula was demoted from the first team and sent to train with the reserve side, which took him backwards.

But when Mokwena signed him for Wydad at the start of the season, Mailula rediscovered his mojo, scoring five goals and registering seven assists in 33 games.

His ability to bounce back to his old self, scoring goals and putting his skill-set to good use, has made him a fan-favourite among the Wydad supporters.

As such, when he lost his mother recently, he received outpouring support from both the fans of the club and football fraternity at large.

With his loan spell at Wydad coming to an end after the World Cup, the 24-year-old is highly expected to make his move permanent, especially given his recent exploits.

Elias Mokwana - Esperance

There are few players that come as speedy as Mokwana in continental football, and that’s why he was able to be head and shoulders above most players in Tunisia.

He made his mark, taking on markers, en route to winning a domestic treble with Esperance, including the championship after the end of the season.

Mokwana had said before his move that he was keen to join childhood club Kaizer Chiefs, but the negotiations fell at the final hurdle.

Mokwana cannot afford to sulk and moan around - he must wear his heart on his sleeve as long as he’s still contracted to Esperance going forward.

Esperance like the other three African representatives - Sundowns, Wydad and Al Ahly - in the US will be underdogs in America, but individual performances will not go unnoticed.

Mokwana has to be at his best with every passing game and tournament as that’ll aid his chances of being called-up for Bafana for the World Cup qualifiers and Afcon finals.