Backpage'Hurt' Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos apologises for outgoing Orlando Pirates star Mbekezeli Mbokazi comments amid racism accusations and reveals 'my family, wife and children have also suffered'
BackpageWhat Broos said about Mbokazi lateness
“Mbokazi, he just arrived or will arrive in 15 minutes,” Broos told the media at the Bafana camp.
“I didn’t want to talk about it, but you asked the question, and you have the right to know that I’m not pleased about it. He let us know that he missed his flight yesterday in Durban, it was the coach of Pirates who informed me. And he was very angry that he missed his flight because, and that’s his word, ‘it’s an unprofessional attitude’.
“And I think I spoke already to you about unprofessional attitude of South African players. Again, an example of it. Then Pirates sent me a message with nonsense – really nonsense, why he missed his flight and I will not tell you what they said – and that is the worst thing that a club protects the player of his unprofessional attitude,” he continued.
“This is South Africa, and this is very bad – very, very bad. When you’re a 19-year-old guy and you receive a call-up from the national team for AFCON, and to play World Cup next year, and the coach gives you a few more days off, if you are somebody with a good attitude, you don’t even want those two days and you are here on Monday with the other players.
“So, I will have a chat with him after training. And I can assure you he is a black guy, and he will get out of my room as a white guy. Because that I can’t accept. But I know why, I know why. Suddenly Mboki is a star – he thinks he is a star," he explained.
“This is the attitude of a star, ‘I will decide when I come’. I will explain it to him. I’m very angry, very angry about his attitude."
Chicago FireWhat Broos felt regarding Mbokazi's move to MLS
The following comments about Mbokazi's recent move to Chicago Fire didn't go down well with some people as well.
“I think, no [it’s not a good move]. What is he going to do in Chicago?” He opined.
“It’s not even a cup team in America. If my info is right, they told me he’s playing MLS2, at the second team of Chicago – if it’s true, I don’t know, I will ask him when I see him. That is even worse.
“But I know what happened, a woman who is his agent and thinks she knows football is doing what many agents are doing and thinking ‘how much can I get’," the veteran tactician added.
"If she is a little bit clever, she knows there is AFCON, and next year it’s World Cup, that there will be other teams, better for his career, to go to and not to Chicago.
“What is he going to do there alone there in a big city like that? So no, I don’t think it’s a good choice,” he concluded.
BackpageBroos apologises
Despite SAFA clarifying on the matter, Broos has also decided to sanctify his name and apologise to all the involved parties.
“Before you ask, I want to say something about the previous statement, but as you may understand I don’t want any questions about it afterwards,” Broos clarified to the media.
”I’m deeply hurt by what happened in recent days and the worse part of that is that my family, my wife, my children and my grandchildren have also suffered“I played with people of colour, coached them, worked with them in Algeria, Cameroon and the last four years in South Africa," he added.
“You can ask any of them what kind of man I am, maybe some will say he is a bad coach, maybe some will say he’s a good coach or maybe they will say I’m stubborn, but no one would call me racist.
“With Mbokazi, when he was introduced in his team at Pirates six months ago, we immediately saw his talent. He was awarded with a selection from Bafana Bafana, and he became a regular player. His life changed and suddenly he had many friends, some meant well while others tried to take advantage of him," the Bafana Bafana coach concluded.
