Gayton McKenzie attacks Broos and praises the organization of the 2025 AFCON.

South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Gayton McKenzie, has issued a strong response to comments made by the national team coach, Hugo Broos, about the organization of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, calling them offensive and unacceptable.

Hugo Broos had criticized several organizational aspects, citing a lack of atmosphere in the stadiums as well as access difficulties, stating:

“I don’t feel the same vibe as in Côte d’Ivoire or Gabon. At those tournaments, you always had the sense you were part of a major competition. My family was at the match on Friday and the situation before kick-off was completely chaotic: the police had closed all access points and it was almost impossible to reach the stadium.”

Gayton McKenzie: “AFCON 2025 is the best in history!”

These comments sparked major controversy, prompting the Minister of Sports and Recreation to make a public statement.

Speaking to The Herald, Gayton McKenzie insisted that the 2025 edition is the best AFCON ever, declaring: “Yes, this is the best Africa Cup of Nations ever organized.”

He continued: “I was extremely angry with the Bafana Bafana coach. This behavior is unacceptable. You cannot go to another country and insult it on its own soil. Hugo Broos is staying in hotels—how can he know what the atmosphere is like outside? We were out in the streets and saw the reality with our own eyes.”

The South African minister concluded by apologizing to the Moroccan people: “I want to apologize to the people of Morocco for Broos’ comments. I take my hat off to the Moroccans. This AFCON has been exceptional. The stadiums and the overall organization have been outstanding. Morocco has shown the entire world that Africa is ready to host major international sporting events.”

AFCON 2025 - Hugo Broos: "Why would an African coach be any less capable?"

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

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AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations