South Africa's World Cup Trip Delayed Due to Visa Issues

South Africa, preparing for the World Cup, has pushed back its travel plans due to visa problems affecting the team. The national football association announced this on Sunday.

The team was supposed to leave Johannesburg on Sunday for a training camp in Mexico on a chartered flight. But the South African Football Association (SAFA) said they have faced issues with visas for some players and officials.

It is not clear how many people in the group are still waiting for their visas. SAFA stated, "SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible." They also mentioned that an emergency meeting would take place on Sunday evening.

State broadcaster SABC reported that visas for at least 20 members of the team are still being processed at the United States embassy in Johannesburg.

Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie expressed his frustration over the situation. He demanded answers and promised to take action against those responsible for “this mess.”

McKenzie described the “travel and visa debacle” as embarrassing and unfair to the players and coaching staff. He shared his thoughts on X, stating, “We are being made to look like fools.”

Known as Bafana Bafana (The Boys), South Africa is in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Korea. They are returning to the World Cup after 16 years.

South Africa will play Mexico on June 11 in the first match of the tournament. They will also face the Czech Republic and South Korea in the group stage.

In their last warm-up game, the team played to a goalless draw against Nicaragua in Soweto on Friday. They are set to play Jamaica in another friendly match on June 5.