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 reported travel disruptions. Egypt and others appear to have managed their preparations more efficiently. South Africa’s self-inflicted delay highlights a troubling outlier in continental preparation.
The incident does not occur in isolation. It reflects chronic administrative inefficiencies, governance lapses and systemic problems at Safa that have persisted for years, from past qualifying errors to financial strains and internal turmoil. These are problems that should have been addressed long before qualification for this prestigious tournament.
The nation can only hope the embarrassing debacle does not have a negative effect on the team. The lost day-plus of preparation, disrupted acclimatisation to altitude and conditions in Mexico and the lingering frustration could weigh on morale before a demanding group that includes hosts Mexico on 11 June.
The squad left without assistant coach Helman Mkhalele and the team’s head of security, Mdu Mbatha, because of incomplete paperwork. Bafana Bafana and the millions of South Africans backing them deserve far better.
As the team heads into the historic campaign, Safa must treat the visa fiasco as a loud and final wake-up call. As it stands, South Africa have scored a spectacular proverbial own goal even before the kick-off whistle. Now it is up to our boys to go on to the field and fight with the added weight of restoring the national pride they had nothing to do with eroding.