The South African Football Association (SAFA) has rubbished claims that Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has resigned.
This comes after reports suggesting that the 70-year-old mentor had left his position and returned to his native country, Belgium.
However, the Association has come forward to reject the claims citing that the news is just widespread rumours.
SAFA CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe strongly dismissed the claims as “fiction.”
“Broos was very much in charge of the senior men’s national team and that it was always a norm that both the COSAFA tournament and the African Nations Championship (CHAN) would be handled by Mkhalele,” said Motlanthe.
‘’These claims are absolutely false, and it is troubling that they were published without anyone seeing the need to contact SAFA. This is shocking conduct.
“It has always been the norm that the COSAFA tournament and CHAN are handled by coach Mkhalele. Even last year, before he got Covid-19 at the COSAFA tournament in Nelson Mandela Bay, coach Helman (Mkhalele) was in charge of the team.
‘’That was also the case with this year’s two tournaments. It is malicious and untrue that Broos is no longer Bafana Bafana.”
South Africa recently won this year’s COSAFA Cup Plate title after defeating Botswana 2-1 in a mouthwatering final that took place at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium this past Sunday.
Coach Mkhalele retained the Bafana youthful squad that participated in the COSAFA tournament for the 2023 CHAN qualifiers. The 52-year-old mentor had assembled Under-21 players for the regional competition.
Bafana will take on Comoros on Friday, 22 July in an away leg, whereas the return leg will be played on July 30 at Dobsonville Stadium.
Mkhalele reckons that giving the Under-23 players the needed playing exposure will go a long way in helping South Africa move forward.
The CHAN tournament will be held in Algeria between 8 and 31 January 2023.
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