World Cup 2026: South Africa squad to depart for Mexico today after visa delay

South Africa’s national football team, the Bafana Bafana, will now depart for the World Cup today, June 1, after visa complications forced a last-minute delay to their travel plans, the country’s football association has confirmed.

The squad had been scheduled to leave on Sunday, first travelling to the United States before continuing on to Mexico for their opening match against co-hosts Mexico on June 11 in Mexico City.

However, the departure was disrupted after several players and members of the backroom staff failed to obtain the required travel visas in time.

Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie described the situation as an “embarrassing debacle,” attributing the setback to an administrative mistake by team officials. He has since requested a full report from the South African Football Association.

By Monday, the federation said visas had been secured for all players, although four staff members — including an assistant coach, the team doctor, head of security, and an analyst — were still awaiting approval.

Authorities remain hopeful that their documentation will be completed in time for them to board the charter flight from Johannesburg.

The association said it held an emergency meeting on Sunday night and issued an apology for the disruption, noting that it had received assistance from the South African Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg to resolve the issue.

The episode comes at a sensitive time for South African football, which has faced scrutiny during World Cup qualifying following a disciplinary setback involving midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who featured in a match against Lesotho despite being suspended.

That error led to the team forfeiting points, putting its qualification hopes at risk before it ultimately topped its group by a single point.

South Africa will return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010. In Group A, they will face Mexico, the Czech Republic in Atlanta, and South Korea in Monterrey.