By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
14 December 2025 – After qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup almost two months ago, Bafana Bafana are back in camp preparing for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to be held in Morocco later this month. The South African Football Association (SAFA) said it has moved to address growing misconceptions in the media suggesting that Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is racist and sexist.
SAFA president, Danny Jordaan said the claims surfaced after Broos criticised the professional conduct of a senior national team player and expressed frustration over what he deemed as the player’s agent premature push for his move overseas. Jordaan said his remarks, made during a recent press conference ahead of the team’s preparations for the AFCON, were subsequently misconstrued.
“SAFA maintains that Broos’s strongly worded comments, aimed purely at football matters, were misinterpreted and later amplified into unfounded character accusations.
“It is mind-boggling that the coach would be described in such a manner towards a player he has consistently supported since selecting him for the first time a few months ago,” he said.
Jordaan further clarified that Broos’s remarks regarding the player’s agent were intended to underscore the importance of football agents prioritising players’ welfare and long-term development over short-term financial gain. He added that SAFA noted that a language barrier contributed to the coach’s frustrations not being fully or clearly conveyed during the interview, leading to misunderstandings about his intent.
“The organisation emphasises that there was no discriminatory motive behind the coach’s remarks. SAFA stressed that in Broos’ four years at the helm, neither players nor staff have raised any issues related to racism, sexism, or discrimination of any kind.
“We credited Broos’ forthright approach to issues affecting players and the national team as a key factor in building the squad’s current strength and unity. We further credited him with playing a key role in transforming the national team, highlighting his insistence on high standards and the reciprocal commitment shown by the players,” said Jordaan.
He said that as the Bafana Bafana squad prepares for AFCON and looks ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, they urge the public to recognise the coach’s contribution and rally behind the team ahead of the forthcoming continental showpiece.
“SAFA, the players and the staff are all fully behind Broos and we are now completely focused on our participation in the AFCON in a few days’ time,” said Jordaan.
Meanwhile, Broos said it is unfortunate that his strong rebuke of the player’s conduct and subsequent comments were misinterpreted as racism and sexism. He said he distanced himself from any accusation of racism and sexism.
The Guardian 