WATCH | Broos slams Mbokazi’s move to the US, late arrival in camp

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has slammed Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s transfer to Major League Soccer [MLS] side Chicago Fire, saying it’s the wrong move for the young defender.

The 20-year-old defensive prodigy will move to the US from Orlando Pirates after the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco that starts on December 21, after completing the deal in late November or early this month.

The news has left Broos unimpressed as he feels Mbokazi’s agent, Basia Michaels, was a impatient concluding the reportedly lucrative contract that has been speculated to be worth as much as R51m. The national coach suggested Michaels should have waited for after Afcon and next year’s World Cup to attract better offers.

“I will tell you what I think. What is he going to do in Chicago?” Broos queried when asked for his thoughts on Mbokazi’s move during a press conference at the Pretoria Universit High Performance Centre in Pretoria on Wednesday, where Bafana are camping before departing for Afcon next week Wednesday.

“[Chicago Fire] is not even a top team in America.

“But I know what happens when an agent thinks she knows more than what many agents are doing. If she is a little bit clever, there is Afcon and next year’s World Cup, there will be other teams better for his career, not Chicago. I don’t think it is a good choice.”

Broos also slammed Mbokazi for missing a flight from Durban to Johannesburg to join Bafana in camp. Mbokazi was supposed to fly on Monday and join the camp on Tuesday, a day later than the start because Broos gave Pirates’ player a day off after they won the Carling Kmockout final 1-0 in extra time against Marumo Gallants in Polokwane on Saturday.

The defender, though, only joined the camp on Wednesday.

“It was Pirates coach [Abdeslam Ouaddou] who informed me [Mbokazi missed his flight] and he was very angry - in his words, ‘It’s an unprofessional attitude’,” Broos said.

“Pirates sent me a message explaining why he missed his flight.

“When you are a 19-year-old guy who received a call-up for the national team to play in Afcon and the World Cup next year and the coach gives you a few days off, if you are someone 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 - suddenly, he thinks he is a star. This is the attitude of a star. I’m very angry about his attitude.”

Sowetan