One week before the start of CAN 2025, South Africa is facing a huge controversy. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is the target of a complaint filed Thursday with the South African Human Rights Commission by the United Democratic Movement (UDM), a minority party in the country’s ruling coalition government.
At issue: remarks “with racist and sexist connotations” made by the Belgian technician at a press conference this Wednesday, December 10. Launched into a tirade against his defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who arrived late for the South African team’s gathering in Morocco after missing his plane, Hugo Broos was guilty of a big slip-up.
“Hugo Broos must answer for his words”
“It’s a new example of the unprofessional behavior of many South African footballers (…) He’s a black boy, but he’s going to leave my office like a white boy,” he told the media, after criticizing his player’s “attitude” and attacking his club, the Orlando Pirates, describing the “apologies” made by the South African team as “nonsense”.
A controversial outing which shook public opinion in South Africa, a country still very marked by its history of racial segregation. The words of the 73-year-old coach cannot “be considered as simple remarks lightly”, judged Yongama Zigebe, secretary general of the UDM. “Racism and white supremacist attitudes have no place in our society. Hugo Broos must answer for his words,” he demanded.
As well as publicly attacking Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Broos also charged Basia Michaels, the 20-year-old centre-back’s agent, berating her for letting her player join the Chicago Fire in the United States.
“This sweet little woman thinks she knows football”
“I know why this is happening,” he said. “He suddenly thinks he’s a star. This sweet little woman is his agent and thinks she knows football. If she was a little smarter, she would have waited until the end of the African Cup and even the World Cup to receive offers from other teams. What will he do in Chicago? It’s not even a top team in the United States. It’s not a good choice,” criticized the former coach of Cameroon, winner of the CAN with the Indomitable Lions in 2017.
Faced with the scale of the controversy, the Bafana Bafana boss was forced to react in a press release. “It is unfortunate that my strong rebuke of the player’s behavior and subsequent comments were misinterpreted as racism and sexism. I dissociate myself from any accusation of racism and sexism,” he soberly declared.
No upcoming layoffs
On the other hand, the position of Hugo Broos should not be threatened before the start of the CAN, since the South African Football Federation (SAFA) has decided to support its coach, appointed in 2021, who helped qualify South Africa again in the World Cup.
“It is incomprehensible that the coach is described in this way with regard to a player he has tirelessly supported since his first selection a few months ago,” the body wrote in a press release. “SAFA, players and staff are fully behind Coach Broos, and we are now fully focused on our participation in the AFCON in a few days. »
On a legal level, the Belgian coach should not be worried immediately, the South African Human Rights Commission having limited powers. The latter may, however, refer the matter to the Equality Tribunal, with a view to possible prosecution.
