Visa chaos strands Bafana Bafana ahead of World Cup camp in Mexico

South Africa’s men’s national football team, South Africa national football team, have been forced to postpone their trip to Mexico for their 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations after visa complications disrupted their travel plans.

Reports indicate that an administrative error left several players still waiting for visa approvals at the U.S. embassy just hours before departure, while visa applications for some team officials were reportedly rejected.

The team had been scheduled to depart via OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday aboard a charter flight to Mexico City, before continuing to their training base in Pachuca. However, the journey has now been suspended, with players and coaching staff remaining in South Africa.

Head coach Hugo Broos has continued training sessions in Johannesburg as officials work to resolve the issue. South Africa are set to face co-hosts Mexico in their opening World Cup match on June 11, followed by fixtures in the United States and Mexico.

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has demanded a full report from the South African Football Association and called for accountability, insisting those responsible must be sanctioned for embarrassing the country.

This latest setback adds to ongoing concerns about administrative challenges within South African football, including delayed payments to national teams and previous qualification complications involving fielding an ineligible player.

South Africa national football team are returning to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, having previously failed to progress beyond the group stage in their earlier appearances.