More Than 20 Bafana Bafana Players Stranded After US Embassy Visa Delays
South Africa’s return to the FIFA World Cup has descended into fresh chaos, with over 20 members of the Bafana Bafana travelling party including the majority of players still stranded after the United States Embassy in Johannesburg failed to process their visas in time.
The planned Sunday evening departure (31 May 2026) from OR Tambo International Airport on a charter flight to Mexico City has now been officially postponed. The team was due to set up base camp in Pachuca, but those plans are on hold as the South African Football Association (SAFA) scrambles behind the scenes.
According to SABC Sport senior journalist Mazola Molefe, one or two technical team members have already had their visa applications rejected, deepening the administrative nightmare just days before South Africa’s first World Cup appearance since 2010.
Coach Hugo Broos and his squad who topped a qualifying group featuring Nigeria, Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda and Zimbabwe are now in a race against time. Their opening Group A match against hosts Mexico is scheduled for 11 June at the iconic Estadio Azteca, with a planned warm-up against Jamaica on 5 June now under threat.
This latest blow echoes SAFA’s recent blunder when midfielder Teboho Mokoena’s suspension was mishandled during qualifiers, costing the team three points due to an administrative error. Coach Broos has previously insisted responsibility for such failures lies across the entire association.
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao confirmed to SABC Sport that the body is working “flat-out” to resolve the matter, but with the clock ticking toward South Africa’s long-awaited World Cup return after 16 years, furious fans are demanding accountability and asking how a national team can be left grounded by paperwork just days before the global showpiece.