South Africa's preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after the national team failed to depart for Mexico as scheduled on Sunday (31 May) because some players and officials had not yet received their visas.
The national team, Bafana Bafana, were due to fly on a chartered flight to their training base in Pachuca, Mexico, but the trip was postponed as the South African Football Association (SAFA) worked to resolve the documentation issues.
The delay comes just 11 days before South Africa's opening Group A match against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on 11 June, a fixture expected to attract a global television audience.
South Africa's Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie expressed his frustration over the situation in a post on X.
"This SAFA travel and visa debacle is embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players and coaching staff," McKenzie wrote.
"I have informed SAFA that I need a report and action must be taken against those responsible for this mess. We are being made to look like fools."
In a statement, SAFA confirmed that visa-related challenges had prevented the team from travelling as planned.
"The team was unable to fly in the morning as planned due to challenges regarding visas for some players and officials," the association said.
"SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible."
"We remain committed to ensuring that the team's preparations for the tournament remain on track and in the meantime, Bafana Bafana will continue to train in Johannesburg until departure," the statement added.
An emergency SAFA meeting was scheduled for Sunday evening to address the situation.
The latest administrative problem follows an earlier scare during the qualification campaign. South Africa's 2-0 win over Lesotho was initially overturned after midfielder Teboho Mokoena was found to have been ineligible for the match because of suspension.
Despite the setback, South Africa still managed to top their qualifying group, finishing one point ahead of Nigeria and Benin to secure their place at the finals.
The tournament marks South Africa's first appearance at the World Cup since hosting the competition in 2010.
After facing Mexico, South Africa will take on the Czech Republic in Atlanta on 18 June before concluding their group-stage campaign against South Korea in Monterrey on 24 June.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. T...
Aid organisations in Afghanistan are struggling to keep women in work as Taliban restrictions force them to spend more on male guardians, transport an...
The Trump administration is pressing ahead with new immigration rules that will impose fixed time limits on visas for foreign students, cultural excha...
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The Trump administration is pressing ahead with new immigration rules that will impose fixed time limits on visas for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists, tightening requirements for thousands of people who study and work in the U.S.
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one U.S. astronaut successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, highlighting continued U.S.-Russian cooperation in space despite wider geopolitical tensions.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini says cooperation with Azerbaijan is moving beyond formal diplomacy, with new opportunities emerging in energy, defence, cybersecurity, trade and education.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
The Trump administration is pressing ahead with new immigration rules that will impose fixed time limits on visas for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and journalists, tightening requirements for thousands of people who study and work in the U.S.
Keir Starmer has reaffirmed that the UK's "unwavering" support for Ukraine will continue, during his final visit to the country as Prime Minister.
Two British hackers who carried out a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) that cost the transport authority £29 million to remediate have been jailed for a total of 11 years.
At least 11 people have been killed and 19 injured in a fire at an orphanage on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, state media reported. The blaze broke out early on Thursday at the institution in the eastern suburbs of Algiers.
A woman whose husband was sucked out of the window of a plane during a Ryanair flight has recounted pulling her husband to safety. Serbian couple Svetlana Maksimovic and Ljubisa Karovic had just settled into a flight with the airline last week, when a loud bang pierced the hum of engines.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment