Bafana Bafana finally depart for North America after embarrassing visa mix-up – in stark contrast to other African teams

After a delay of more than 30 hours that captured unwanted international headlines, Bafana Bafana have finally departed for North America. The squad boarded a charter flight late on Monday, 1 June 2026, which was originally scheduled for the previous day, costing them valuable preparation time. The tardiness follows the chaotic visa bungle that grounded them in Johannesburg. Although the main group are en route to their training base in Pachuca, Mexico, the episode remains a stark reminder of deeper issues in the South African Football Association (Safa). This is embarrassing and has laid bare some of the challenges that should have long been ironed out. What was meant to be a smooth, professionally managed departure before South Africa’s first Fifa World Cup appearance since 2010 turned into a public relations disaster. Players and officials were left waiting as basic administrative processes, such as securing the necessary US and Mexican visas for a co-hosted tournament in the Americas, fell through at the eleventh hour because of late or incomplete applications. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie described it as a “debacle” and a “mess” that made the country “look like fools”, demanding accountability from those responsible. The optics are particularly damaging because the world views South Africa as the most resourceful footballing nation on the continent. With superior infrastructure, a track record of hosting major events such as the 2010 World Cup and greater relative resources than many peers, South Africa is often the go-to example when other African countries struggle to meet Fifa standards for tournaments or international competitions. Yet there we were, unable to execute something as fundamental as timely travel documentation for our own national team. This stands in sharp contrast to other African teams heading to the 2026 tournament. Powerhouses such as Morocco and Senegal had seamlessly confirmed their base camps and logistics weeks in advance, with no r