Bafana Bafana are in the final stages of their preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco. The South Africans have been backed by many as one of the teams that can push all the way and win just their second African title.
However, this momentum has been hampered by the fallout from harsh comments made by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos at a press conference in Pretoria last week. The Belgian tactician, visibly livid, lambasted star defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
This was on the back of the 20-year-old missing his flight from Durban to Johannesburg after captaining Orlando Pirates to victory in the Carling Knockout Cup final, in which they defeated Marumo Gallants 1-0.
The final took place in Polokwane, but Broos granted the Pirates players selected for Afcon a couple of extra days off after the Knockout Cup decider. Bafana Bafana set up camp at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria on Monday, 8 December 2025.
What was said
Mbokazi used his extra time off to head home to celebrate his recent move to Major Soccer League side Chicago Fire. Broos also expressed his disappointment with that move, insisting that Mbokazi could have received better offers after Afcon or the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
“I will have a chat with him. He is a black guy. He will get out of my room as a white guy. Because that I can’t accept. But I know why. Suddenly, Mbokazi is a star – he thinks he is a star. This is the attitude of a star: ‘I will decide when I come.’ I will explain it to him. I’m very angry about his attitude,” Broos blasted.
“What is he going to do in Chicago? It’s not even a top team in America. But I know what happened. That little woman who’s his agent [Basia Michaels] and thinks she knows football is doing what many agents are doing,” the Belgian said.
“It’s how much they can get. If she’s a little bit clever, she should know that the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup are coming. There could have been better teams that he can go to, and not Chicago.”
These fiery remarks by the 73-year-old coach, who wears his heart on his sleeve and has told South Africans a number of harsh truths during his four years in charge of Bafana Bafana, have shifted focus from South Africa as a team heading to Morocco as a title challenger. The spotlight is now on how racist and sexist Broos allegedly was during his salvo.
‘Misconstrued’ comments
The coach and the South African Football Association (Safa) have since released a statement that denied the assertions of racism and sexism that have emerged from some media outlets and at least one political party.
The coach’s shaky command of the English language is always evident when journalists have to carefully explain some of their questions at press briefings. The statement said that he just meant that Mbokazi would be pale from fear when he was done with him.
But his referral to Mbokazi’s agent as a clueless “little woman” is inexcusable. Nevertheless, the coach and Safa defended his stance and said the Belgian, who has uplifted Bafana Bafana significantly since his arrival, had simply been misunderstood – especially on the back of political party the United Democratic Movement reporting him to the Human Rights Commission.
“It is unfortunate that my strong rebuke of the player’s conduct and subsequent comments were misinterpreted as racism and sexism. I distance myself from any accusation of racism and sexism,” said Broos via Safa’s media department.
“It is mindboggling that the coach would be described in such a manner towards a player he has consistently supported since selecting him for the first time a few months ago,” Safa added.
The association further clarified that Broos’ remarks regarding the player’s agent were intended to underscore the importance of football agents prioritising players’ welfare and long-term development over short-term financial gain. Safa said that a language barrier contributed to the coach’s frustrations not being fully or clearly conveyed during the press conference, leading to misunderstandings about his intent.
Disruptive furore
Broos’s remarks have divided South Africans, which is not good right before Afcon. Former Pirates and Bafana Bafana midfielder Benedict Vilakazi acknowledged that Mbokazi had made a blunder. But he said Broos could have handled the situation better.
More so because life had moved rapidly for Mbokazi. The defender went from playing football for local clubs in his hometown of Hluhluwe to joining Pirates’ reserve team in 2023, and then being promoted to the first team the next year. But it wass 2025 in which things began happening for him, with the burly defender even being installed as Pirates’ vice-captain before his move to Chicago, which he will join after Afcon.
“We cannot throw this boy under the bus for just a single mistake. It’s not something that his club Pirates is dealing with every day, the issue of him being late. It just happened once. Why is it a big issue? Yes, he came late and he was wrong. But bringing up issues of him going to Chicago? How is that relevant? From just a single mistake so much fire has been created,” Vilakazi said on iDiskiTV.
“We know that Hugo Broos is big on discipline. But there is a certain way to approach things as a father. Take him into a corner and sit down with him. Build him so that does not make the same mistake,” Vilakazi said.
While there are differing opinions on the matter, the hope is that Bafana Bafana can find a way to move on and focus on the bigger picture of making history in Morocco. Afcon will run from 21 December to 18 January 2025; Broos and his men want to be there for the duration of the tournament.
As for Broos, he should have chosen his words better. He’s been in South Africa almost five years and should be aware of the sensitivities around race in this country. DM
