Khompela Has Twitter Divided After Slamming Broos For His Comments
Khompela Has Twitter Divided After Slamming Broos For His Comments.
Mamelodi Sundowns senior coach Steve Khompela says the Bafana Bafana coach lacks respect after he criticized DStv Premiership and SA players’ quality. Khompela joins Kermit Erasmus who also slammed Broos for his comments.
Khompela is known for not holding back his opinions on football and for his educational comments. He joined the controversy on Twitter as some were siding with Hugo Broos while others were disappointed and believed that the Belgian tactician went too far with his words.
SABC Sport Journalist Chad Klate seemed to be agreeing with Broos when he said he knew that SA players were disappointed by Broos’ words however, they need self-introspection. He went on to say the National team players both locally and overseas are inconsistent.
That’s where Steve came out to lambast the former Cameroon mentor for his tone. Khompela felt that Broos was disrespectful and lacked respect. “Chad, this coach has been insulting everyone as he wished and none of you members of the fourth estate saw this coming. Nothing wrong with voicing an opinion but please understand that this is a nation and not some cabal in a forest. Where’s the intelligence in such reckless statements,” tweeted Komphela.
While SuperSport presenter Thomas Mlambo also shared the words of Bafana coach on his Twitter account. Khompela replied, ““Our nation is addressed with so much carelessness and lack of tact. It is disrespectful and to some, it sounds like the honest truth but for others, the tone is just as condescending.”
Khompela went on to state that he has never heard of any leader speaking in that manner and that Broos lacks diplomacy. “I have never heard of a national leader who lacks diplomacy like that one. If you want to be addressed like that, with no respect or regard, he’s your coach alone!”
One Twitter user told Khompela that the coach had to tell the harsh truth because SA will not go anywhere if truth isn’t told. “I do not dispute standards, there’s a lot to that as well, but a national address needs to carry a particular tone. He’s not only talking to his nation, but he’s also reflecting his nation to other nations as well. He must address us as his nation and not some observer with no allegiance.
Some asked coach Steve what language should Broos have used to express himself. Khompela replied, “National coaches have a certain tone that penetrates deeper throughout the nation. I have never come across a national coach with this tone. I’ve worked with a lot of top international coaches. They are great diplomats. They never insult the intelligence of their people.”
WHAT DID BROOS ACTUALLY SAY?
The 70-year-old manager said South Africa have been failing to produce the quality to compete with top countries they play against. He made example of their recent matches where they faced Morocco, Ghana and France, stating that there’s no way they could have matched those rivals as they have a better quality than SA’s.
“I think it’s time now to face the real problem. What is the real problem of South Africa? The real problem of South Africa is that we don’t have those quality players,” said Broos at the Press Conference.
“We don’t have those players like our three last opponents, Ghana, France and Morocco, have. When you see those teams – Ghana, 90% of the players (play in) from Europe. France, I don’t have to explain which players are playing in the team of France, all players are in big teams in Europe.
“But also Morocco, when you look at the selection of Morocco, there was only one player of the CAF Champions League winning-team Wydad Casablanca, and it was the goalkeeper. For the rest, there was no Champions League winners, no players. I think that shows enough.
“All those players are playing in great European teams, Fiorentina, Sevilla, PSG. We don’t have those quality players who are playing in Europe.
“We can look at the fantastic rise of Sundowns and Pirates in Champions League and Confederation Cup, but Sundowns lost the quarter-final, Pirates lost the final, and who won? Moroccan teams, Wydad and Berkane,” he continued.
“When I talk about quality, and you see that even in Morocco, there was no player of those teams in the selection, except the goalkeeper, I think it tells enough. “Therefore, again, let’s face the problem of South Africa, and the problem is that the level of our PSL is not high enough. We don’t make players with high quality.”
