Visa Delay Disrupts South Africa World Cup Trip

South Africa’s national football team has faced an unexpected setback in its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after visa delays forced the squad to postpone its departure to Mexico.

The team, popularly known as Bafana Bafana, was scheduled to leave Johannesburg on a charter flight to Mexico City on Sunday. However, several players and officials had not yet received the required visas, preventing the delegation from travelling as planned.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) confirmed the issue and said efforts are underway to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. Until travel arrangements are finalised, the team will continue training in Johannesburg.

South Africa is set to face co-host Mexico in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup on June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The visa delay has raised concerns about the team's preparations, with less than two weeks remaining before the tournament begins.

The situation sparked criticism from South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, who described the incident as embarrassing and unfair. He questioned how such an important logistical issue could affect the national team ahead of one of the biggest events in world football.

The squad had already received a public farewell in Johannesburg before the planned departure, leading to criticism on social media from fans who questioned why the send-off took place before visa issues were fully resolved.

Before their World Cup opener, South Africa is scheduled to play a friendly match against Jamaica on June 5. Following the clash against Mexico, Bafana Bafana will face Czechia and South Korea in their remaining group-stage matches.

South Africa is not the only team dealing with visa-related complications. Iran has also reported delays in obtaining visas for players and officials travelling to the United States for their World Cup fixtures.

Despite the setback, South African football authorities remain confident that the visa issues will be resolved in time and that the team’s World Cup campaign will proceed as planned.