Bafana have no time to score own goal

ON the eve of Bafana Bafana’s departure for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2026 in Morocco, South Africa is grappling with the fallout from controversial remarks attributed to head coach Hugo Broos.

- HERMAN GIBBS

The Belgian mentor has come under fire for statements critics have labelled both racist and sexist, relating to the tardy arrival of Mbekezeli Mbokazi at Bafana’s AFCON camp last week. The remarks sparked outrage and urgent discussions among fans, players and football officials alike.

Broos said at a press conference: "If you receive a call-up to play for the national team in AFCON and the World Cup, if your club coach gives you a few days more off, if you are somebody with a good attitude, you don’t even want those two days.

"You are here on Monday like the other players. I will have a chat with him after training. And I can assure you, he’s a black guy, but he will come out of my room as a white guy.”

Another comment that inflamed debate was Broos’s reference to Mbokazi’s agent, who assisted the player with a move to the MLS. Broos reportedly said: "that little woman who thinks she knows football."