The South African Football Association (Safa) has thrown its weight behind Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos who has been under pressure after comments he made about Orlando Pirates defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi and his agent Basia Michaels.
Safa finally released a statement on Saturday to deny what it called growing misconceptions in the media suggesting Broos was racist and sexist.
As a result of his statements, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) lodged a formal complaint at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
In a statement Safa said Broos’ comments had been misconstrued.
“The South African Football Association (Safa)) has moved to address growing misconceptions in the media suggesting that Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is racist and sexist.
“The claims surfaced after Broos criticised the professional conduct of a senior national team player and expressed frustration over what he deemed as the player’s agent’s premature push for his move overseas.
“His remarks, made during a recent press conference ahead of the team’s preparations for the Afcon, were subsequently misconstrued. Safa maintains that Broos’ strongly worded comments, aimed purely at football matters, were misinterpreted and later amplified into unfounded character accusations,” Safa said.
“It is unfortunate that my strong rebuke of the player’s conduct and subsequent comments were misinterpreted as racism and sexism. I distance myself from any accusation of racism and sexism,” said Broos.
“It is mind-boggling that the coach would be described in such a manner towards a player he has consistently supported since selecting him for the first time a few months ago,” added Safa.
The association further clarified that Broos’ remarks regarding the player’s agent were intended to underscore the importance of football agents prioritising players’ welfare and long-term development over short-term financial gain.
“Safa noted that a language barrier contributed to the coach’s frustrations not being fully or clearly conveyed during the interview, leading to misunderstandings about his intent.
“The organisation emphases that there was no discriminatory motive behind the coach’s remarks.”
Safa stressed that in Broos’ four years at the helm, neither players nor staff have raised any issues related to racism, sexism, or discrimination of any kind.
They credited Broos’ forthright approach to issues affecting players and the national team as a key factor in building the squad’s strength and unity.
Safa further credited Broos with playing a key role in transforming the national team, highlighting his insistence on high standards and the reciprocal commitment shown by the players.
It said the association, players and the staff were all fully behind coach Broos and “we are now completely focused on our participation in the Afcon in a few days’ time”.
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