Bafana Camp Calms Storm After Broos Outburst

Mbekezeli Mbokazi during the Bafana Bafana training session at High Performance Training Centre in Pretoria

Bafana Bafana goalkeeper coach Grant Johnson has moved to calm the waters following Hugo Broos’ explosive criticism of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, insisting that the situation has been handled internally and that the squad remains united ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Broos caused a stir on Wednesday when he launched into a tirade over Mbokazi’s late arrival at training, before publicly questioning the outgoing Orlando Pirates star’s imminent move to MLS side Chicago Fire.

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His comments further drew backlash for appearing to take a misogynistic swipe at the 20-year-old’s agent.

With the national team preparing for a demanding AFCON campaign, the timing of the outburst was far from ideal.

But speaking at Thursday’s Castle Lager Bafana Bafana AFCON Send-Off in Johannesburg, Johnson assured the media that the matter had already been addressed within the squad.

Responding to a question about how the players had absorbed the incident, Johnson stressed that discipline and equality remain central pillars in the camp.

“I think it’s a necessity to create discipline within the team,” said Johnson, speaking to journalists. “That’s what we’ve done over the last four years. There’s no superstars in this team. No one’s treated special. No one’s treated any different,” he said.

Johnson emphasised that Mbokazi’s situation was not unique and that any player would have faced the same consequences.

“If any other player had done that, it would have been the exact same thing. The exact same consequences. You get ripped over the knuckles. You apologise and you continue,” the coach added.

According to Johnson, the matter has already been resolved, with the squad focused fully on the task ahead.

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“All of that has been sorted out. The players are ready to continue and ready to play, and there’s really no issue anymore,” he concluded.

Johnson’s reassurance will be welcomed by supporters hoping to see a settled and mentally sharp Bafana Bafana heading into Africa’s biggest football showpiece. The focus now, he insists, is on performance, not controversy. 

Photo by Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix 

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