Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has apologised for his outburst last week regarding Mbekezeli Mbokazi and his agent. The Belgian strongly criticised the young centre-back for missing his flight and arriving late at the Bafana camp.
‘TLB’ and his Orlando Pirates teammates were granted two extra days after their triumphant Carling Knockout Cup final. However, the 20-year-old defender was unable to arrive in camp on time, citing that he missed a flight.
In his rebuke, the Bafana mentor also fired a salvo at the player’s agent for his move to MLS side Chicago Fire. Broos’s remarks prompted the United Democratic Movement [UDM] to lodge a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission [SAHRC].
Addressing the media on Monday, Broos expressed profound distress over the impact of the allegations on his personal life.
“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,” he said.
WHAT DID HUGO BROOS SAY IN HIS APOLOGY
He said that when Mbokazi arrived late at camp for the most important tournament on the continent, he “was incredibly angry with him but even more at some people sending me strange stories to justify his unprofessionalism.”
Nonetheless, he admitted that his anger got the better of him in his reaction to the incident.
“It would be a waste if Mbokazi didn’t pursue the career he was destined for due to a lack of proper guidance….
“I agree that my choice of words was not right, and I want to apologise for that. But I never, I repeat, I never wanted to make a racist or sexist comment. I’m neither a racist nor sexist. I thank you.”
The former Cameroon coach pointed to his extensive career in Africa, arguing that his history demonstrates a clear commitment to non-discrimination.
“I played with people of colour, coached them, worked with them in Algeria, Cameroon and the last four years in South Africa.”
Broos then challenged his past colleagues to judge his character, stating that while he may have been a difficult coach, his integrity is unblemished by prejudice.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Bafana face Ghana on Tuesday in an international friendly before jetting off to Morocco on Wednesday. They kick off their Group B campaign against Angola in Marrakesh on 22 December.
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