Angry Broos slams Mbokazi’s late arrival as Bafana’s AFCON preparations intensify

The Orlando Pirates centre-back was expected in camp yesterday after Broos had granted Pirates players an extra day of rest after they won the Carling Knockout on Saturday. 

But the 21-year-old still failed to meet the deadline after reportedly missing his flight from Durban. 

He only linked up with the squad shortly before today’s training session and Broos was not impressed.

"He's just arrived or he will be arriving in 15 minutes I think and I didn't want to speak about it but okay. I think you have the right to know that I'm not pleased with what he did,” Broos said.

“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 missed his flight and that was his words, he said 'unprofessional attitude'. 

“I think I spoke already to you about unprofessional attitudes of South African players, again, here is an example of it. Again Pirates sent me a message with nonsense, really nonsense, why he missed his plane and I will not tell you what the nonsense is and that is the worst thing about it, that the club protects the player of his own professional attitude. This is South Africa and this is very bad."

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Broos was alerted to the situation by Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, who expressed similar frustration at the player’s lack of punctuality. 

For Broos, whose standards on discipline are well established, Mbokazi’s late arrival was unacceptable—especially for a young player still carving out his place in the national team setup.

"And when you are a 19 year old guy who receives a call up for the national team to play in the AFCON and to play in the World Cup next year and the coach gives 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,” the coach added.

“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 come, I'm very angry, I'm very angry with his attitude."