Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has come out guns blazing against the South African Football Association (Safa) after Bafana Bafana’s trip to Mexico was thrown into disarray by visa problems involving several players and officials.
The national team was expected to depart for North America on Sunday as part of its final preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but those plans were derailed when visa-related complications prevented the squad from travelling as scheduled.
The embarrassing setback has sparked public outrage, with many supporters questioning how Safa failed to resolve the administrative issues ahead of the country’s biggest football assignment in years.
Bafana Bafana are set to kick off their World Cup campaign against tournament hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on 11 June, and coach Hugo Broos had hoped to have his squad in the country well in advance to acclimatise and intensify preparations.
An angry McKenzie took to social media on Sunday to vent his frustration over the situation.
“This Safa travel and visa debacle is embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff. I have informed Safa that I need a report and action must be taken against those responsible for this mess. We are being made to look like fools.”
Safa later acknowledged the crisis in a statement, confirming that visa delays had prevented the team from boarding its scheduled flight.
“The South African senior men’s national team has experienced challenges regarding visas for some players and officials, and as a result the group could not travel to North America this morning [Sunday] as originally planned.
“Safa is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible ahead of the opening match of the global tournament against the hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11, 2026.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the team’s preparations for the tournament remain on track, and in the meantime, Bafana Bafana will continue to train in Johannesburg until departure.
“Safa will have an Emergency Committee Meeting this evening (Sunday, 31 May 2026) and a further update will be communicated to the nation after its conclusion.
“This year’s Fifa World Cup will be hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.”