Hugo Broos explains what he will not tell Bafana Bafana players as 'it should be a very bad thing to do' ahead of AFCON amid controversial Mbekezeli Mbokazi comments

After his explosive comments against Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has said he will not put his players under pressure to win the Africa Cup of Nations trophy.  

Bafana's AFCON preparations are in top gear after the Belgian announced his 25-man final squad. Broos said he is already feeling the pressure as some fans press him to win the continental trophy.

“Oh, pressure, you know, you make the pressure yourself a little bit. I know that everyone, and we know all that everyone expects. The only thing I heard the last three or four weeks, when I met someone outside or in the group when I did my groceries, was ‘Hey coach, we win AFCON,’" Broos said, as per iDiski Times. 

"'Hey, coach, bring us the cup'. Everyone is expecting that, but you don’t have to come back every time with your players and say, ‘Hey guys, we have to be in the semi-finals.’

However, the former Cameroon head coach said he will not apply the same pressure on his players.

“Then you yourself put pressure on the team. They know it, and also, they want to win AFCON. Don’t think they don’t want to win AFCON," he explained. 

"So, I don’t have to put pressure there, or I don’t have to repeat to them every two or three days, 'Hey guys, come on, we have to win it.' We don’t have to do that, and it should be a very bad thing to do because then, as a coach, you put the pressure on your team.”

The 73-year-old tactician said he is only keen to have the best preparations. He stated that he has already told the players the AFCON ambition, and there is no need to repeat it every now and then.

“The only thing I have to tell them is to prepare them for what will come, and what will come is what I already told them from the beginning; the status of South Africa is different than two years ago. Two years ago, we were one of the teams. Now we are one of the best teams in AFCON," Broos added.  

“So, our opponents will not make the same mistake I think Morocco did in the previous one. They told South Africa, 'We beat them 2-1 for the qualification, and here we beat them.'

"But okay, everything was decided; I think they were a little bit too relaxed against us. It will not happen again now, and we have to be aware of that.”

As Broos sets sight on the continental campaign, his comments on Orlando Pirates and Mbokazi continue to ruffle feathers.

The experienced coach has been immensely criticised after he made a controversial quote about the defender and his agent. What he said has been widely interpreted as misogynistic and racist.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie said he is waiting for a response from the South African Football Association and the coach himself before he can decide the next course of action.

"I’m awaiting the response from SAFA & Coach Hugo Broos before I comment. The comments made by the coach require clarification, as it is open to any interpretation currently," the minister said in a statement.

"My brother, a political party, has lodged a formal complaint at the Human Rights Commission about our national coach. The media is asking me to comment as the National Minister; I prefer clarification before I say anything. What do you want me to do rather?"