Loquacious sports minister Gayton McKenzie has slammed Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos for saying the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco lacked vibe, labelling the edition “the best Afcon ever”.
“I was annoyed with the coach of Bafana Bafana. I was highly annoyed — you don’t do that,” McKenzie said at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning, where he and a few fans welcomed returning Bafana from a disappointing Afcon.
The South Africans exited in the last 16 with Sunday’s 2-1 defeat against Cameroon in Rabat.
“You don’t go to a person’s country and insult them in their own country. Nobody should do that; it’s wrong.
“He [Broos] is in hotels. How does he see the vibe outside? We were on the streets, and we saw the vibe. I want to apologise to the Moroccans about what Broos said.”
Broos said the Afcon in Morocco had “no vibe” before South Africa’s last Group B fixture against neighbours Zimbabwe last month, which they won 3-2 to advance to the last 16 in Marrakesh.
McKenzie lauded the 2025 Afcon as the “best ever”, saluting Morocco, joint hosts of the 2030 Fifa World Cup with Spain and Portugal, for their organisational standards, as he believes it provesthe continent is ready to host global spectacles.
“Morocco was just the best. I take my hat off to the Moroccans.
“This was the best Africa Cup of Nations ever; I can promise you that. The stadiums and everything were brilliant. They proved to the world Africa is ready to host global events.”
Bafana disappointed fans by being knocked out in the last 16, having arrived in Morocco as dark horses after finishing third in the last Afcon in Ivory Coast in 2024.
McKenzie believesthe defeat to Cameroon was self-inflicted, as Bafana missed a few good chances in the first 15 minutes.
“We are all gutted, but I must tell you Cameroon didn’t beat us, we beat ourselves. We should have wrapped the game up in 15 minutes. But this is sports, and these things happen.”
Sowetan