The Bafana Bafana coach and the South African Football Association (Safa) have strongly denied that he made racist or sexist remarks. He also attacked the player's agent, Basia Michaels. He called her a "nice little woman who... thinks she knows football" and accused agents of only asking "How much can I get?" The United Democratic Movement (UDM) called the comments offensive and filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. "It is unfortunate that my strong rebuke of the player's conduct and subsequent comments were misinterpreted," Broos said. "I distance myself from any accusation of racism and sexism." The association called it "mind-boggling" that Broos would be accused of discriminating against a player he selected for the national team. Safa explained that the "white" comment was a metaphor for being pale with fear after a scolding, not a comment on race. They pointed out that in Broos's four years with Bafana, no issues of racism or sexism had ever been raised before. They believe his direct style is what has helped build unity in the squad. Broos found himself in the middle of a political storm after a recent press conference. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn "There was no discriminatory motive," the association stated.

South Africa: Safa and Broos Hit Back At Racism Claims

Tagged: South Africa Southern Africa Sport Human Rights Soccer Tagged: South Africa Southern Africa Sport Human Rights Soccer Tagged: South Africa Southern Africa Sport Human Rights Soccer AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. 15 December 2025 Scrolla (Johannesburg) Speaking about defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who missed a flight to camp, Broos said: "He is a black guy but when he comes out of my room he will be white." Regarding the "little woman" jab at the agent, Safa said Broos was making a point about agents prioritising money over player development. The Bafana Bafana coach and the South African Football Association (Safa) have strongly denied that he made racist or sexist remarks. Broos found himself in the middle of a political storm after a recent press conference. Speaking about defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who missed a flight to camp, Broos said: "He is a black guy but when he comes out of my room he will be white." Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn He also attacked the player's agent, Basia Michaels. He called her a "nice little woman who... thinks she knows football" and accused agents of only asking "How much can I get?" The United Democratic Movement (UDM) called the comments offensive and filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. But Broos says he was misunderstood. "It is unfortunate that my strong rebuke of the player's conduct and subsequent comments were misinterpreted," Broos said. "I distance myself from any accusation of racism and sexism." Safa has jumped to his defence. The association called it "mind-boggling" that Broos would be accused of discriminating against a player he selected for the national team. They blamed a language barrier. Safa explained that the "white" comment was a metaphor for being pale with fear after a scolding, not a comment on race. Regarding the "little woman" jab at the agent, Safa said Broos was making a point about agents prioritising money over player development. "There was no discriminatory motive," the association stated. They pointed out that in Broos's four years with Bafana, no issues of racism or sexism had ever been raised before. They believe his direct style is what has helped build unity in the squad. Read the original article on Scrolla.