Brett Clay: South African Coach Disgraced and Deported From US After Sex Crime Conviction
- South African hockey coach Brett Clay was deported from the United States of America over sex crimes he committed this year
- The 40-year-old mentor faces multiple abuse allegations from South African women after being convicted in the USA
- The news about the hockey coach's deportation sparked different reactions from netizens on social media
South African hockey coach Brett Clay has been disgraced in the United States of America after being deported back to Mzansi for a sex crime he reportedly committed at the beginning of 2025.
The 40-year-old was deported after being convicted of the sex offence, and he's facing multiple allegations from different women he abused in their teenage years in KwaZulu-Natal.
Clay was convicted in the U.S. for sexually expl*cit communication with a teenage girl while coaching field hockey at Mount Olive High School. He was living in Flemington, New Jersey, when he was convicted.
Source: Getty Images
According to several media reports, Clay allegedly sent indecent messages to the minor and offered her money in return for explicit pictures.
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In February 2025, a U.S. judge determined that Clay posed "a threat to the safety of children", issued a permanent ban on his employment involving minors, and ordered his deportation from the United States upon the expiration of his visa.
More women in South Africa have accused Clay
Clay's return to South Africa didn't do him any good either, as he reopened the bad things he had done to some of the players who played under his tutelage before moving to the U.S.
An unnamed woman, who has since reached out to the South African Hockey Association (SAHA), alleged that the 40-year-old coach began developing a relationship with her when she was just 13.
“He should not be allowed to coach here,” the woman said in her message to SAHA. “I don’t want anyone else to go through what he did to me.”
The woman further alleged that Clay exploited "numerous adolescent girls" during his coaching tenure in KwaZulu-Natal, before his relocation to the United States.
This woman's testimony against Clay has motivated his other former players, who are now adults, to present their cases.
Source: Twitter
SAHA has taken action to respond to the case by issuing a nationwide advisory to clubs, schools, and sports organisations, cautioning them against involving Clay in any coaching or mentoring role.
The association further urged those with evidence and vital information that could help them tackle the ongoing issue to come forward and present their cases.
Clay's deportation comes after Americans were also planning the removal of Elon Musk while filing a petition against him. The billionaire is also facing backlash from South Africans after publicly accusing the ANC of expropriating land without compensation from white people.
Reactions as Clay is deported to SA
Stop_Noncents said:
"SOUTH AFRICANS GET DEPORTED BACK TO SERVE THEIR SENTENCES MEANWHILE WE'RE spending 11 million a day on foreigners in jail."
NnaKaSebele@1ka added:
"this one coming back here while his countrymen are fleeing the opposite direction. wont be crying about the genocide in a hurry 😷🚮"
nqzulu wrote:
"Lomjita was my coach back in high school, yoh."
Harding goes spiritual after Comrades ordeal
Briefly News also reported that Moira Harding expressed her gratitude to God as she recovers after the unfortunate event at the Comrade Marathon.
She is now out of the hospital and continues her recovery at home with her family in Cape Town.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
