Orlando Pirates star Thembinkosi Lorch said the Buccaneers “needed a bit of luck” after a 5-4 penalty shootout loss to RS Berkane in Friday’s CAF Confederation Cup final.
The South African giants fell on penalties at the final hurdle in heartbreaking fashion after a 1-1 draw after regulation time at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Nigeria.
Pirates initially fell behind in extra time through a penalty by El Fahli but Lorch equalized few minutes before the end of extra time to take Pirates to the penalties.
Lorch was voted man of the match after missing the crucial penalty in a thrilling penalty shootout that saw the Pirates miss out on a second Continental title.
After the final whistle, a tearful Lorch regretted his side’s luck after seeing a controversial penalty awarded after a VAR review.
“I would like to thank my players and we fought hard,” Lorch said after the game.
“We needed luck but congratulations to the opponents, they worked hard. We just needed a bit of luck.”
Orlando Pirates, seen by many as the favorites for the title, were helpless in the center circle after the final whistle.
It is the third CAF final that the Soweto giants have finished on the losing side after finishing runners-up in 2014.
![FILE: Tawanda Maswanhise celebrates after scoring for Motherwell FC in the Scottish Premiership match against Rangers FC on Sunday 29th December 2024. [Picture by: Raymond Davies Photography]](https://rosgwen24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image-5-768x768.jpeg "Maswanhise comes to the party, ref spoils the battle 3")
