Wydad Casablanca on the brink of elimination as Mamelodi Sundowns loanee Thembinkosi Lorch scores and Bafana Bafana forward Cassius Mailula features in Juventus defeat at Fifa Club World Cup

Thembinkosi Lorch was named in the starting lineup, while fellow South African Cassius Mailula began on the bench for Wydad Casablanca. Juventus took control early, racing to a 2-0 lead by the 16th minute following an own goal from Abdelmounaim Boutouil and a clinical finish by Kenan Yildiz.

Despite the early setback, Lorch remained a key figure in Wydad’s attack and pulled one back in the 25th minute, giving the Moroccan side a glimmer of hope. The Mamelodi Sundowns loanee continued to push forward with his teammates as they searched for an equaliser in the second half. However, Juventus extended their lead once again through Yildiz, who grabbed his second of the match.

Mailula was eventually introduced in the 77th minute, but it was the Italian giants who had the final say, with Dusan Vlahovic converting a late penalty to seal a commanding 4-1 win.

The Moroccan outfit currently find themselves in third place in Group G, having suffered two defeats in as many matches, which has put their hopes of progressing to the next round in serious doubt. 

With no points on the board and a negative goal difference, they will need a strong performance in their final group stage fixture to restore some pride.

Manchester City, currently sitting second in Group G, need just a single point from their clash against Al Ain on Monday morning at 03h00 SA time to officially eliminate Wydad from the competition. The Premier League champions will be looking to seal their place in the next round with a game to spare.

Meanwhile, Wydad will be hoping to end their Club World Cup group stage campaign on a positive note when they take on Al Ain in their final fixture on Thursday, 26 June.