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Cape Town - Sports minister Fikile Mbalula says South Africans should not get the impression that he has a problem with president Jacob Zuma.
Mbalula shocked the sporting fraternity on Monday when he slammed Bafana after they were eliminated from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after losing 3-1 to Nigeria at Cape Town Stadium.
"What I saw there was not a problem of coaching, it was a bunch of losers, who don't have any respect for this country and don't have any respect for anybody," Mbalula told a packed media conference in Cape Town on Monday.
The SABC on Tuesday said Zuma had contradicted Mbalula, suggesting he did not agree with the minister that Bafana Bafana were an embarrassment.
However, in an interview with the TimesLIVE website, Mbalula said the media "shouldn't play" Zuma against him.
Mbalula said he was informed by people in the presidency that the interview with Zuma was done on Sunday soon after the match and that he spoke at the media briefing on Monday.
He said it's not true that Zuma was interviewed after him and that there is no contradiction between him and Zuma.
Mbalula said Zuma also never even asked him to apologise and that there is no crisis.
He reiterated that Bafana's performance was an embarrassment.
Mbalula shocked the sporting fraternity on Monday when he slammed Bafana after they were eliminated from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after losing 3-1 to Nigeria at Cape Town Stadium.
"What I saw there was not a problem of coaching, it was a bunch of losers, who don't have any respect for this country and don't have any respect for anybody," Mbalula told a packed media conference in Cape Town on Monday.
The SABC on Tuesday said Zuma had contradicted Mbalula, suggesting he did not agree with the minister that Bafana Bafana were an embarrassment.
However, in an interview with the TimesLIVE website, Mbalula said the media "shouldn't play" Zuma against him.
Mbalula said he was informed by people in the presidency that the interview with Zuma was done on Sunday soon after the match and that he spoke at the media briefing on Monday.
He said it's not true that Zuma was interviewed after him and that there is no contradiction between him and Zuma.
Mbalula said Zuma also never even asked him to apologise and that there is no crisis.
He reiterated that Bafana's performance was an embarrassment.
