Broos blasts Mbokazi for ‘unprofessional’ conduct after missing return flight

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has expressed his anger at Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s “unprofessional attitude” after the player missed his return flight from a short break in Durban and thus arrived late for the senior national team’s camp in Pretoria.

“I am very angry; very angry with this attitude,” the silver-haired Belgian told the media, at the squad’s opening press conference in the auditorium of the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre, on Wednesday.

“Suddenly, he is a star. He thinks he is a star. He thinks he has arrived,” Broos said, explaining that he had been informed by Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou of Mbokazi’s failure to catch the scheduled flight back to Gauteng, after being given a few days off.

“He’s just arrived in camp and I didn’t want to speak about it, but you have the right to know. He let us know that he missed his flight from Durban.

"The coach of Pirates informed me and he was very angry that he missed his flight. That’s an unprofessional attitude and I think I have spoken to you before about the unprofessional attitude of South African players. It’s really nonsense that he missed his flight.

"That is the worst thing from the player; a very unprofessional attitude. This is very bad when you are a 19-year-old guy who is still to grow up and play at Afcon and play at the World Cup.”

The septuagenarian said he intends to give Mbokazi a piece of his mind.

“The coach gives you a few days off and you do that! I will have a chat with him after training. He’s a black guy but when he comes out of my room he will be white with fear. I will make it clear that it cannot be acceptable ..."

The Buccaneers’ youngster no doubt celebrated in Durban, having achieved two major milestones in two weeks: first securing a contract with American Major League Soccer franchise Chicago Fire and then leading Pirates to victory in the Carling Knockout final.

Broos also expressed his disappointment at Mbokazi signing for an American team.

“I hear he might be playing in the MLS2, but I will ask him when I speak to him. But I know what happened. A nice lady who is his agent and thinks she knows football is thinking: how much can I earn?

"If she was a little clever, there is the World Cup coming and there will be better teams looking at him at the World Cup. What is he going to do in a big city?”