Bafana Bafana goalkeeper coach Grant Johnson has moved to reassure the
public that harmony has been restored in the squad, following head coach
Hugo Broos’s public criticism of defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Broos sparked controversy earlier this week by strongly criticising
Mbokazi’s late arrival at training and questioning his upcoming transfer to
MLS side Chicago Fire. The coach’s remarks, which also drew criticism for an
apparent swipe at the player’s agent, threatened to disrupt the team’s focus
just before the Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking at the team’s official send-off event in Johannesburg, Johnson
stated that the issue has been dealt with internally and is now resolved.
“It’s a necessity to create discipline within the team,” Johnson told
reporters. “That’s what we’ve built over the last four years. There are no
superstars here. No one is treated as special or any different.”
He emphasised that the same standards apply to every player. “If any other
player had done that, it would have been the exact same thing. The exact
same consequences. You get pulled up, you apologise, and you move on.”
Johnson confirmed the squad has put the incident behind them. “All of that
has been sorted out. The players are ready to continue and ready to play.
There’s really no issue anymore,” he concluded.
His comments will come as a relief to fans hoping for a focused and united
Bafana Bafana as they prepare for the continental tournament. The team’s
attention, Johnson insists, is now firmly on their performance in Cameroon.
