Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has publicly apologised to Mbekezeli Mbokazi for his recent comments toward the defender and his agent Basia Michaels.
Broos criticised Mbokazi for missing his flight and showing up late to the Bafana Bafana camp, despite getting two extra days off alongside his Orlando Pirates teammates.
The Bafana Bafana head coach has since issued an apology following his recent remarks toward Mbokazi while speaking to the media at the High Performance Center in Pretoria.
“I’m deeply hurt by what’s happened in recent days. The worst part is that my family – my wife, children and grandchildren – have also suffered,” Broos said in a statement.
“I’ve played with people of colour, coached them and worked in Algeria, Cameroon and have now (spent) four years in South Africa. You can ask any of them what kind of man I am.
“Some will say I’m a bad or a good coach, some will call me stubborn, but no one will call me a racist.
“When (Mbekezeli) Mbokazi was introduced into the team six months ago by his coach at (Orlando) Pirates, we immediately saw his talent. He was rewarded with selection to Bafana Bafana and became a regular player. His life changed, and suddenly he had many friends. Some meant well, others tried to take advantage of him.
“When you attract all the attention so quickly as a young 20-year-old footballer, you need guidance from people who can prevent you from making the wrong decisions. The red card against Zimbabwe (in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in October 2025) was one of the poor decisions that made me suspect that this guidance wasn’t sufficient. Worse, he was protected from potential sanctions.
“When Mbokazi arrived a day late at the Bafana Bafana camp in preparation for the most important tournament on the continent, the Africa Cup of Nations, I was incredibly angry with him but even more angry at the people who sent me a strange story trying to justify his enormous unprofessional error.
I let my fatherly side get the better of me in my response because I saw that things could go wrong. It would be a waste if Mbokazi didn’t pursue the career he was destined for due to a lack of proper guidance, a guidance he needs as an inexperienced, young, humble and talented player.
I agree that my choice of words was not correct and I want to apologize for that. But I never, I repeat, never, wanted to make a racist or sexist comment. I am neither a racist nor a sexist.”
