‘I am neither a racist nor a sexist’ – Remorseful Broos apologises over Mbokazi rebuke 

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has apologised over his choice of words against Mbekezeli Mbokazi and his agent that saw him dragged into a racism and sexism row.

Broos found himself being accused of being racist and sexist following his public rebuke of Mbokazi for arriving late to camp while hitting out at his agent Basia Michaels for sealing a transfer to the MLS, which the veteran tactician did not feel was the right move.

“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,” Broos said last week when promising to have a talk with Mbokazi.

UDM party accused Broos of ‘racism and sexism’

That comment drew the ire of the UDM political party which lodged a complaint at the Human Rights Commission while also expressing its disappointment over Broos’ comments on Michaels.

“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,” the 73-year-old said of the agent.

However, following the racism and sexist storm, Broos, who had been defended by SAFA at the weekend, has opened up on the impact of his words on him and his family while accepting that he chose the wrong words.

What has Bafana coach said over the row?

“I am deeply hurt by what has happened in recent days,” Broos said at the TUKS Hight Performance Centre on Monday.

“The worst part of it is that my family – my wife, my children and grandchildren – have also suffered. I have played with people of colour and coached and worked with them in Algeria and Cameroon and now in South Africa for four years.

“You can ask any of them what kind of man I am. Maybe some will say I am a bad coach, and others maybe a good coach. Maybe some will call me stubborn. But no one will call me a racist.

“I agree my choice of words was not right and I want to apologise. But I never meant to make racists or sexist remarks. I am neither a racist nor a sexist.”