South Africa’s national football team will depart Johannesburg on Monday (AEST) for Mexico, but only after an “embarrassing” visa administration blunder that left the squad grounded for 24 hours.
The national team was originally scheduled to board a chartered flight on Sunday morning to their pre-tournament training base in Mexico.
South Africa will land in Mexico without key team members. Zamani Makautsi
Instead, logistical failures regarding transit visas left the squad stuck and forced to hold emergency meetings in Johannesburg to scramble for a solution.
South Africa’s public broadcaster reported that the cause of the delay was that at least 20 of the travelling contingent were still having their visas processed by the United States Embassy.
Currently, every player of the men’s national squad will fly to Mexico and have had their US entry visas accepted.
But they are set to land in North America without a significant portion of their technical and support staff as the team’s assistant coach, team doctor, head of security and a performance analyst’s US visas were denied and their visas are “still outstanding.”
South Africa’s sport minister Gayton McKenzie was first to point fingers at the nation’s governing body, saying the administrative bungle was “grossly unfair” to the players.
“This SAFA travel & visa debacle is embarrassing & grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff,” said McKenzie on X.
“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.”
South Africa will play in the opening match of the World Cup against co-hosts Mexico on June 12 (AEST). The importance of the team’s United States visas being granted is that the team then travels onward to Atlanta for their match against Czechia on June 19.
