▲ ⓒSouth African Football Association SNS
By Shin In-seop, SPOTV News — South Africa’s national team ran into an administrative snag just days before the World Cup.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) said on the 31st (local time) that visa problems affecting several players and staff prevented the squad from leaving for North America as planned.
The team had been scheduled to take a charter from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International to Mexico, but incomplete U.S. transit visas forced officials to push the departure back to June 1 (local time).
SABC reported that at least 20 players and staff still hadn’t secured visas before departure, and some technical staff members were reportedly denied entry documents.
As the issue escalated, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie publicly blasted the situation.
On social media he wrote, “This visa issue is embarrassing and very unfair to the players and coaching staff. We look like fools in front of the world. We must find out who caused this chaos.”
The South African government and SAFA launched an emergency response to resolve the U.S. visa problems. An intervention secured visas for all players, clearing the squad for a Monday departure.
McKenzie said all players received U.S. entry visas, though the head coach, the team doctor, the security chief and one analyst still faced unresolved issues.
South Africa planned to use Pachuca, Mexico, as its World Cup base camp. Coach Hugo Broos wanted the team to arrive early so players could adapt to the time change and high altitude, but the administrative setback disrupted those plans.
Pachuca sits at 2,432 meters (7,979 ft), roughly 680 meters (2,231 ft) higher than Johannesburg. Broos had hoped for the squad to be in Mexico by June 1, but they began acclimating a day later than intended.
South Africa will play a warm-up against Jamaica on June 6, then open the World Cup against hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. They’ll face the Czech Republic in Atlanta next, then finish the group stage against South Korea in Monterrey.
This isn’t SAFA’s first administrative stumble. During last year’s African qualifying campaign, officials fielded midfielder Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho despite a suspension for accumulated yellow cards, sparking controversy. SAFA faced a points deduction that put qualification in jeopardy, but the team narrowly held on to top spot and secured a World Cup berth.
Local media slammed the visa debacle as another repeated administrative failure ahead of the tournament. Back in the World Cup finals for the first time in 16 years, South Africa has been hit with a major off-field headache.
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