The South African national football team’s departure for the FIFA World Cup has been postponed due to a delay in obtaining visas for Mexico, the host nation and their opponent in the tournament’s opening match, the South African Football Association (SAFA) announced.

Bafana Bafana were scheduled to fly from Johannesburg to Mexico City on a chartered flight Sunday morning but remained grounded as visas for some players and officials were not processed in time. SAFA stated it is “working around the clock” to resolve the issue and ensure the team travels as soon as possible.

The opening game between Mexico and South Africa is set for June 11 at the Estadio Azteca. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie condemned the delay as “embarrassing and grossly unfair,” adding, “We are being made to look like fools.” SAFA called an emergency committee meeting to address the crisis.

South Africa will play a friendly against Jamaica on June 5 before facing Czechia and South Korea in Group stage. This is not the first visa-related hiccup: Iran’s squad is also awaiting US visas for their matches. The incident has sparked criticism over logistical preparedness, with social media users questioning why the team held a public send-off if visa issues were known.

Source: www.aljazeera.com