South Africa’s build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been severely hampered after visa complications prevented the squad from travelling to North America.
Bafana Bafana were expected to jet out of Johannesburg on Sunday prior to their opening Group A encounter against hosts Mexico on June 11, but SAFA confirmed the squad’s travel had been held up with several players and officials yet to receive their documentation.
In a statement, SAFA declared the issues had caused huge logistical difficulties and said they had convened an emergency committee meeting and would issue an update at a later time. The squad will train at home while the issue is resolved.
South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie was not impressed. “This is extremely embarrassing and grossly unfair to our players and coaching staff who have worked incredibly hard for this event,” he said, before demanding a report from the Football Association.
The problem is not an isolated incident, as all players and staff have had to undergo thorough background checks even though they are expected to receive an exemption from many of the normal travel restrictions.
The time factor in resolving this issue is running out before their opening game against the host nation.
