Visa setback delays South Africa's departure for World Cup training camp

South Africa's preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup have suffered an unexpected setback after visa complications forced the team to postpone its departure for a pre-tournament training camp in Mexico.

The squad, popularly known as Bafana Bafana, was scheduled to leave Johannesburg on Sunday aboard a chartered flight to Mexico City.

However, the South African Football Association (SAFA) confirmed that visa-related issues affecting several players and officials disrupted the travel plans.

In a statement released on Sunday, SAFA revealed that the delegation had encountered challenges in securing the necessary travel documents, although the exact number of affected personnel was not disclosed.

"SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible," the federation said, adding that an emergency meeting had been convened to address the situation.

According to reports from state broadcaster SABC, visas for at least 20 members of the travelling party were still being processed at the United States Embassy in Johannesburg, creating uncertainty over the team's immediate travel arrangements.

The development has drawn strong criticism from South Africa's Minister of Sports, Gayton McKenzie, who described the situation as both embarrassing and unfair to the players and coaching staff.

"The travel and visa debacle is embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players and coaching staff," McKenzie wrote on X. "We are being made to look like fools."

The delay comes at a crucial stage of South Africa's World Cup preparations. Returning to football's biggest stage for the first time in 16 years, Bafana Bafana has been drawn in a challenging Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

South Africa is scheduled to open their campaign against Mexico on June 11 before facing the Czech Republic and South Korea in their remaining group-stage fixtures.

The team heads into the tournament seeking improved form after being held to a goalless draw by Nicaragua in an international friendly played in Soweto on Friday.

They are also expected to face Jamaica in another warm-up match on June 5 as preparations continue for the global showpiece.

For now, however, SAFA's immediate focus remains resolving the visa issues and ensuring the squad arrives in Mexico with enough time to complete its final phase of preparations ahead of the World Cup.

Comments

Nigeria backs ANOCA rotation policy as Uganda lands 2031 African Games hosting rights

By Maxwell Kumoye Uganda's emergence as host of the 2031 African Games has been linked to the rotational hosting policy of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), a framework designed to ensure equitable distribution of the continent's biggest multi-sport event among Africa's regions. Investigations have revealed that the East African nation benefited significantly from the policy, which seeks to spread hosting opportunities across the continent rather than concentrating them in a few countries. The decision is also understood to have been aided by Nigeria's withdrawal from the race, leaving Uganda as the sole candidate for the prestigious event. For Nigeria, supporting the rotational arrangement aligns with the country's longstanding contribution to the growth of the African Games movement. The nation has already hosted the continental showpiece twice, first in Lagos in 1973 and again in Abuja in 2003, making it one of only a handful of c...

Glazer family members studying Manchester United stake sale, Bloomberg News reports

Some Glazer family members have been debating whether ‌to sell their stake in Manchester United FC (MANU.N), opens new tab after more than two decades ⁠of ownership, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Several stakeholders in the Glazer family have been studying ‌the ⁠possibility of divesting part or all of their holdings in the English ⁠Premier League football club, according to the report. — Reuters

Protests and last-minute construction work disrupt Mexico City ahead of World Cup

Eight days before Mexico City kicks off the World Cup, mass protests by teachers and retired judges, road closures and last-minute construction work caused chaos in the capital on Wednesday for millions of residents who face long delays and complex rerouting of their daily commutes. On June 11, Mexico City will host the inaugural World Cup match between ‌Mexico and South Africa at Azteca stadium in the capital. With Mexico in the global spotlight, teachers and other groups have staged marches and blocked major avenues. They have said their protests, which are unrelated to the tournament, could intensify unless President Claudia Sheinbaum's government addresses their demands. The CNTE, a dissident wing of the national teachers' union, has threatened mass demonstrations at the opening of the World Cup in official statements shared on social media. The union is demanding the government fulfill a campaign pledge to repeal a 2007 law that overhauled the pension and ⁠social securit...

Iran to play World Cup warm-up behind closed doors, head to Mexico on Saturday

Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up behind closed doors in Turkey on Thursday before departing for their tournament base in Mexico on Saturday, the Iranian FA (FFIRI) said on Wednesday. Although it was one of the first teams to ‌qualify, Iran's participation in the World Cup has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February. The squad have played three friendlies in two training camps in Antalya since the start of the war - losing to Nigeria and beating Costa Rica and Gambia - and on Thursday will face Mali ⁠in the Turkish sea resort. "Considering the importance of the Iranian national football team's friendly match against Mali, and in line with the tactical objectives of Iran's head coach, tomorrow's match against Mali will be held behind closed doors and without media attendance," FFIRI said in a statement. The FFIRI persuaded FIFA to allow the team to swap its tournament base from Tucson, A...

Z-PRO MEDIA

Search This Blog