Just weeks before kicking off their first World Cup finals appearance in 16 years, South Africa’s men’s national football team has been plunged into chaos by last-minute visa issues that have halted their travel to pre-tournament preparations in Mexico. The administrative mishap has sparked swift condemnation from the country’s top sports official, who is demanding immediate answers and accountability from the nation’s governing football body.
The incident came to light after South Africa’s national public broadcaster SABC reported that an “administrative bungle” left several squad members without processed travel visas ahead of their planned departure. No additional details on how the error occurred or how many players were affected have been released to the public as of yet.
In a series of posts on the social platform X, South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie made his frustration clear. He confirmed that he has formally requested a full written report from the South African Football Association (Safa), the governing body responsible for the national team’s logistics, and called for disciplinary action against whoever is responsible for the misstep.
“We are being made to look like fools,” McKenzie wrote, adding that the entire visa and travel debacle is not only deeply embarrassing for the country but also grossly unfair to the players and coaching staff who have spent months preparing for the global tournament. Safa has not yet issued any public statement or response to the minister’s demands.
The squad, widely known by its nickname Bafana Bafana, was scheduled to travel to Mexico this week to face Jamaica in a warm-up friendly this Friday, a critical final tune-up match before their World Cup opener. The 2026 expanded World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada, will see South Africa face the host nation Mexico in their first group stage match on June 11.
South Africa is one of 10 African nations qualifying for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, marking the country’s first trip to the tournament finals since it hosted the global event back in 2010. The Jamaica friendly is supposed to be Bafana Bafana’s final opportunity to fine-tune tactics and build match rhythm ahead of the high-stakes competition, making the travel delay all more problematic.
The travel chaos comes on the heels of a underwhelming final home warm-up match for the squad last Friday, which ended in a goalless draw against Nicaragua. South Africa missed a penalty in the match, which multiple sports reports described as disappointing. The result stretched the national team’s current winless run to four consecutive matches, adding another layer of concern ahead of their World Cup debut next month.