Bafana Bafana’s delayed 2026 World Cup departure to Mexico due to a visa debacle has sparked outrage among the public and the government.
The squad was scheduled to board a chartered flight from OR Tambo International Airport to their training base in Mexico on Sunday morning. However, their trip was derailed when more than 20 players and technical staff members failed to receive their travel visas in time.
The issue arose from a South African Football Association (Safa) administrative blunder.
Safa said on Monday most of the players and technical staff received their visas after the assistance of the department of international relations and co-operation (Dirco) and the US embassy. Bafana’s flight was set to depart on Monday.
The department of sport, arts and culture has strongly condemned Safa. Sports minister Gayton McKenzie and his deputy, Peace Mabe, expressed fury over the matter, calling for immediate action to be taken against those responsible.
McKenzie lashed out on social media, labelling the entire situation “embarrassing and grossly unfair” to the players and coaching staff. “We are being made to look like fools,” he stated.
Fans expressed their frustration. Many raised serious concerns about how the delay would affect the team’s training schedule, warning that the administrative blunder could jeopardise team morale ahead of their June 11 opening match against Mexico.
Teams and officials travelling to the World Cup obtain US visas, which then also apply to co-hosting countries Canada and Mexico.
TimesLIVE
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