Johannesburg - South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has extended an olive branch to the national players after calling them a "bunch of losers" when Bafana Bafana crashed out of the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan).
Addressing guests at the Premier Soccer League awards at the Sandton Convention Centre on Sunday night, the Minister said he had said those words out of love.
“To all the players, I love you and forget about the bunch of losers,” said Mbalula.
In his rant earlier this year, Minister Mbalula singled out goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs as the reason for the team's humiliation by Nigeria and he also personally apologised to the Wits goalkeeper.
“I would like to strike a personal note, Moeneeb Josephs you are my personal hero, ” said Mbalula.
“What I said was not to denigrate you. It was to push you to come up and you have done that. You have proven that you are solid and a man of substance and you can never be dampened. I salute you,” added the Minister.