Hugo Broos blasts 'unprofessional' Mbokazi, questions MLS move | OneFootball

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Broos unimpressed with Mbokazi conduct, MLS transfer

Photo: Mbekezeli Mbokazi

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has slammed highly rated defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi for reporting to the national team camp late and questioned his move to the Major League Soccer (MLS).

The 20-year-old center-back missed his flight to Johannesburg while in Durban - this despite getting an extra few days off on the back of lifting the Carling Knockout Cup trophy with Orlando Pirates this past Saturday.

Broos cut a visibly frustrated figure when addressing the player's unprofessional misconduct and also lashed out at Pirates for trying to defend Mbokazi with a ‘nonsense’ message.

“Mbokazi just arrived or he will arrive in 15 minutes I think, but I didn't want to speak about it, but okay you asked a question. I think you have a right to know that I am not pleased with what he did. So, he let us know that he missed his flight yesterday in Durban, it was the coach of Pirates who informed me and he was very angry that he [Mbokazi] missed his flight and it's an unprofessional attitude,” said Broos.

"And I think I have spoken already to you about the unprofessional attitude of South Africa players, we have again an example of it. And then Pirates sent me a message with nonsense, real nonsense [on] why he missed his plane and I will not tell you what the nonsense are - those are nonsense. And that is the worst thing that the club protect the player of his unprofessional attitude. This is South Africa and this is very bad.

"When you are a 19-year-old guy who received a call-up for the national team to play AFCON and to play World Cup next year, and the coach gave you a few days more off - if you are somebody with a good attitude, you don't even want those two days and you are here on Monday like the other players.

He continued: "So, I will have a chat with him after training and I can assure you he's a black guy but he will get out of my room as a white guy because that I can't accept. But I know why, suddenly Mboki is a star - he thinks he's a star. This is the attitude of a star, ‘I decide when I will come,’. I will explain him, I am very angry, very angry of his attitude.

On Mbokazi's move to America, the Belgian mentor didn't mince his words, slamming the agent for taking a hasty decision and thinking about her own financial gain as he believes the transfer is not a good career choice for the Hluhluwe-born stalwart.

“I will tell you what I think. What is he going to do in Chicago? It's not even a top team in America and if my info is right, I don't know, because they told me that he will play in MLS 2 - in the second team of Chicago. I don't know if it's the truth, they told me. So, I will ask him when I see him, that is even worse,” added the 73-year-old tactician.

"But I know what happened - a nice little woman who is his agent and thinks she knows football is doing what many agents are doing, ‘How much can I get,’. If she is a little bit clever she knows there is AFCON and she knows next year there is World Cup, that there will be other teams better for his career, to go to, not to Chicago. What is he going to do alone there in a big city like that - so no, I don't think it's a good choice.