Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has strongly denied allegations of racism and sexism, while conceding that his choice of words in a recent incident involving young defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi was inappropriate.
Broos was speaking to the media on Monday at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria during a pre-match press conference ahead of South Africa’s international friendly against Ghana, scheduled for Tuesday at Dobsonville Stadium.
The Belgian coach said he was deeply affected by the backlash in recent days, noting that the situation had also taken an emotional toll on his family.
“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.
He dismissed claims that he harbours racist views, pointing to his long career working with players of different backgrounds across Africa and Europe.
“I’ve played with people of colour, coached them and worked in Algeria, Cameroon and 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 coach or a good coach, some will say I’m stubborn, but no one will call me a racist,” he said.
Broos provided context around his comments about Mbokazi, explaining that the 20-year-old defender’s rapid rise had brought both opportunity and pressure.
According to the coach, Mbokazi caught the technical team’s attention shortly after being introduced at Orlando Pirates six months ago and was subsequently rewarded with regular selection in the national team.
“His life changed quickly and suddenly he had many friends. Some meant well, others tried to take advantage of him,” Broos said.
He added that concerns about the player’s guidance grew after Mbokazi was sent off in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe in October, an incident Broos described as a poor decision that raised red flags.
The situation escalated when Mbokazi reportedly arrived a day late to Bafana Bafana camp ahead of preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations, an incident Broos labelled as a serious lapse in professionalism.
“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,” Broos said.
The coach acknowledged that his response was driven by concern rather than malice, describing it as a “fatherly” reaction motivated by fear that the player’s career could be derailed without proper support.
“I agree that my choice of words was not correct and I want to apologise for that,” he said. “But I never, I repeat, never, wanted to make a racist or sexist comment. I am neither a racist nor a sexist.”
Bafana Bafana face Ghana on Tuesday as Broos and his squad look to shift focus back to on-field matters following the controversy.