South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, will now depart for the World Cup on Monday after visa complications forced a last-minute delay to their scheduled travel.
The team had initially been set to leave on Sunday aboard a charter flight to their training base in Pachuca, Mexico, but the departure was postponed while the South African Football Association (SAFA) worked to resolve outstanding travel documentation issues.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie confirmed on Sunday that all players had now received visas to travel through the United States, clearing the way for the team’s departure.
“All Bafana Bafana players received their visas to travel to the USA. Outstanding is assistant coach, team doctor, head of security and one analyst. The charter will leave tomorrow (Monday),” McKenzie said in a post on X.
The minister had earlier criticised SAFA over the administrative delays, describing the situation as “embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players and coaching staff,” and warning that the incident made the country “look like fools.”
SAFA also confirmed that the team was unable to fly as planned due to visa challenges affecting some players and officials, and said an emergency meeting was held to address the issue.
The football body has yet to issue an updated statement confirming the revised departure timeline.
Bafana Bafana are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign in Mexico City on June 11, marking their first appearance at the global tournament since hosting the event in 2010.
Head coach Hugo Broos had previously expressed a desire for the squad to arrive in Mexico by June 1 to allow sufficient time for acclimatisation and recovery from jet lag.
The delayed departure means the team will now arrive one day later than planned as they prepare for training in Pachuca, a high-altitude location situated around 2,432 metres above sea level.
South Africa are also scheduled to play a warm-up fixture against Jamaica in Mexico before the tournament begins.
The team’s qualification campaign had already attracted attention after an administrative error nearly cost them a place at the finals, following the fielding of an ineligible player in a match against Lesotho. Despite the setback, South Africa still topped their qualifying group, finishing ahead of Nigeria and Benin.
At the World Cup, Bafana Bafana are drawn in Group A, where they will face the Czech Republic in Atlanta on June 18 and South Korea in Monterrey on June 24.
The latest visa disruption adds to a tense build-up for the team as they aim to prepare under challenging logistical conditions ahead of their return to football’s biggest stage.
