South Africa’s national football team was forced to delay its departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday after a breakdown in travel arrangements left several players and officials without the visas needed to board a charter flight to Mexico.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) said in a statement that Bafana Bafana had “experienced challenges regarding visas for some players and officials.”
“The South African senior men’s national team has experienced challenges regarding visas for some players and officials, and as a result the group could not travel to North America this morning as originally planned,” SAFA said.
“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.”
Bafana were scheduled to fly out on Sunday morning to their training base in Pachuca, Mexico, ahead of a friendly against Jamaica on Friday and the tournament’s opening match against hosts Mexico on 11 June.
The squad requires entry clearance for both Mexico and the United States where they will play their second group‑stage match against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.
The setback triggered a public rebuke from Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie and raised fresh questions about SAFA’s administrative readiness as Bafana Bafana prepare for their first World Cup appearance since 2010.
McKenzie condemned the situation as a “travel and visa debacle”, saying it was “embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players and coaching staff”.
He said he had demanded a full report from SAFA and insisted that “action must be taken against those responsible for this mess”.
The delay has also complicated Bafana’s wider World Cup logistics.
JN/APA