Broos slams Orlando Pirates for protecting Mbokazi – ‘He made a mistake’

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has criticised Orlando Pirates for protecting Mbekezeli Mbokazi after reporting late in camp.

The then 19-year-old had made the final team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). But he, alongside the other Bucs players were given two extra days off following their Carling Cup final against Marumo Gallants.

Mbokazi reported to the camp late, something that irked the 73-year-old, who publicly criticised the centre-back. The Sea Robbers’ coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou, apologised on behalf of the player, and Broos has opened up on the situation, insisting the club was wrong.

Guidance of Orlando Pirates player wrong?

“The most important thing for those players is guidance, that’s all. They need someone next to them that looks at their interest and not at the other side,” Broos opened up as quoted by iDiski Times.

“This is something that I see, not only from – because I always criticize agents, but also clubs – the guidance of those young players is not good because when they become good players the clubs already see money.

“When Mbokazi came one day too late and then I got a message from Pirates saying that he is living in a region where you don’t find transport easily to go to the airport – come one man, are you laughing or what?

“So they protect the player, he made a mistake! Because that was not true. That’s what I mean, in such things you need to be hard. That guy has to know I can’t do that,” Broos further explained,” he added.

Orlando Pirates slammed!

“Don’t support him, tell him ‘no guy, you have made the mistake’. This is guidance and this is what young players need. This is something, I always go to my country, they also had to learn it. Now you see like for example, one of the biggest teams Brugge, sometimes there is interest and they don’t sell the player, they don’t sell him. They say ‘no, no, it’s not the moment now. You stay with us,’” the former Cameroon coach further stated.

“One year later they have five or 10 million more. Then you see the guy going to another team and you see that he performs there also and that is guidance. This is something we have to do more here in this country, not always looking at my own interest.

“What’s the interest of that guy? Is it a good moment for him to go now and where is he going? Not only see what can I put in my pocket…

“You know when you’re young, you don’t know better. You think the world is on your feet and hah… You can very quickly go high but you can very quickly go down also – and there you need someone to guide you,” Broos explained.

Not easy in Mzansi! Orlando Pirates and other PSL clubs told

“Someone to say, ‘no, no, no’ and be tough in some moments. Okay, I put Jayden [Adams] out for one year but he did a big mistake that man, he has to know it.

“Again, this is something we have to learn in this country. And it should be very good for young players, because now you see young players and then they drop and never come back.

“It’s not so easy in this country, because some of these guys live in poverty and the next moment they have money; ‘ah, I can buy a car, I can buy…’. Suddenly there are women waiting for you. That’s the world!

“If you’re not guided in that phase, some people lose and you waste talent like that – not only on that but because of that,” Broos concluded.