Bafana coach in hot soup? Complaint filed against Broos over ‘racist and sexist’ remark

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos could find himself in trouble after a political party filed a racist and sexist complaint against him at the Human Rights Commission.

Broos has divided opinion following his public rebuke of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi over the defender’s late arrival to camp as well as his transfer to MLS club Chicago Fire.

The veteran tactician was highly critical of Mbokazi over what he termed “unprofessional attitude” when he arrived late to the national team camp for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations preparations, promising to have a not so good talk with him.

“If you receive a call-up to play for the national team to play 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,” said Broos.

Broos in trouble over comments on Mbokazi

“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.”

It is the last comment that has drawn the ire of some observers and fans with the UDM political party lodging a complaint at the Human Rights Commission.

The manner in which Broos addressed Mbokazi’s transfer to Chicago Fire has also not gone down well with UDM after the Bafana coach hit out at the player’s agent, terming her ‘not so clever’ for sealing a deal to America when better offers would have come for the player after AFCON 2025 and the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s not even a cup team in America. If my info is right, they told me he’s playing MLS2, at the second team of Chicago – if it’s true, I don’t know I will ask him when I see him. That is even worse,” Broos said of the move to the MLS.

What has UDM said about Bafana coach?

“But I know what happened, a woman who is his agent and thinks she knows football is doing what many agents are doing and thinking ‘how much can I get’. If she is a little bit clever, she knows there is AFCON and next year it’s World Cup, that there will be other teams, better for his career, to go to and not to Chicago.”

UDM MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa confirmed that her party had filed a complaint over racist and sexist remarks against Broos over the manner in which he addressed Mbokazi and his agent Basia Michaels.

“Racism and white supremacist attitudes have no place in our society and we will not tolerate them from anyone, including the Bafana Bafana coach. We have also written to SAFA to express our deep concern and disgust at his comments. Hugo must be held to account for his utterances!” said Kwankwa.

It remains to be seen how the Human Rights Commission and SAFA will respond but the issue is an unnecessary distraction for Broos and his team ahead of their participation at AFCON 2025.