Bafana Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup travel plans were thrown into disarray after visa processing delays grounded the squad’s chartered flight from Johannesburg on 31 May 2026, though all players have since received their documentation and departure is confirmed for Monday, 1 June 2026.
The team was scheduled to board a charter flight to Mexico City on Sunday morning but remained on South African soil as visas for some members of the travelling party were delayed in what SAFA attributed to an administrative processing issue.
By Sunday evening, all 23 squad members had received their travel documents. Four members of the backroom staff, including an assistant coach, the team doctor, the head of security and an analyst, were still awaiting finalisation of their paperwork at the time of writing.
How the Bafana Bafana visa debacle unfolded
As reported by Times Live, Democratic Alliance MP Dean McKenzie was among the first to publicly criticise the South African Football Association’s handling of the situation, slamming what he called a “Safa travel debacle” and questioning how a squad preparing for the country’s second appearance at a FIFA World Cup could face such a basic administrative failure days before their opening match.
The Sports Minister confirmed the revised departure schedule and indicated that the backroom staff members would follow on a separate flight once their documentation was in order.
What South Africa faces at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
South Africa’s first match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is against co-hosts Mexico on 11 June 2026. The tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first expanded 48-team edition of the competition and marks a significant moment for South African football, the country’s first World Cup appearance since the nation hosted the tournament in 2010.
The squad’s preparation has been disrupted, but team management indicated that training commitments in Mexico would proceed on schedule once the travelling party arrived.
The broader picture for South African football
South Africa’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup generated widespread national celebration after a tight AFCON qualifying campaign that went to the final rounds.
The visa incident, embarrassing as it was in its timing, did not affect the squad’s ability to reach their destination before the preparation window closed. Football administrators and fans alike will be hoping it is the last piece of logistical turbulence before attention turns fully to what happens on the pitch on 11 June.
The squad is expected to hold its first training session in Mexico on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, with a pre-tournament friendly still possible before the group stage begins.
