South Africa's FIFA World Cup 2026 departure affected by visa delays
Bafana Bafana are due to face hosts Mexico in the tournament opener.
South Africa’s departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was delayed on Sunday. It is due to the fact that certain players and officials had not yet received their visas. This situation is just 11 days before they are scheduled to participate in the opening World Cup match against co-hosts Mexico.
The team’s planned departure on a charter aeroplane to their training facility in Pachuca, Mexico, has been postponed indefinitely while the problem is fixed.
South Africa departure affected due to visa delay for the World Cup
On Sunday, the South African Football Association (SAFA) released a statement.
“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 as originally planned.”
“SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible. 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.”
The organisation announced that it would consider the matter at an emergency committee meeting on Sunday night.
Moreover, during qualifiers, they fielded an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, who was suspended for the match due to a string of yellow cards. Their 2-0 victory over Lesotho was overturned, nearly costing them a spot in the finals. However, in their qualifying pool, they still managed to finish on top.
On June 11, South Africa will play their first World Cup match in Mexico City against co-hosts Mexico. This is their first appearance at the global finals since they hosted the tournament in 2010.
Additionally, South Africa will play Group A matches against South Korea on June 24 in Monterrey and against Czechia on June 18 in Atlanta.
When is South Africa’s first World Cup game?
12 June, 12:30 am IST against Mexico.
Why has their departure been delayed?
Due to some players’ failure to get visas.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.