Bafana Bafana Finally Cleared for World Cup Travel After Visa Delay Amid 'Fools' Outburst From Minister

South Africa's national football team, Bafana Bafana, faced a significant travel disruption ahead of the FIFA World Cup after their chartered flight to North America was grounded due to a visa blunder.

The team's departure, originally scheduled for Sunday morning, was postponed when it emerged that several players and staff members had not been issued the necessary travel documents.

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed the team would now travel on Monday. In a Facebook post, he stated, "All Bafana players received their visas to travel to the USA, outstanding is assistant coach, team doctor, head of security and one analyst. The charter will leave tomorrow."

McKenzie expressed his frustration over the incident, calling it "embarrassing and unfair." He has demanded a full report from the South African Football Association (SAFA) and insisted on consequences for those responsible.

"I have informed SAFA that I need a report and action must be taken against those responsible for this mess. We are being made to look like fools," he said.

SAFA acknowledged the "challenges regarding Visas for some players and officials," which prevented the team from travelling as planned.

The squad is scheduled to face host nation Mexico in their opening match at the Estadio Azteca on June 11. This year's World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Peace Mabe, called for severe repercussions, stating that "heads must roll" over the administrative failure.

She described the situation as "shocking and embarrassing," suggesting it reflected a lack of leadership within SAFA.

Mabe stressed that a basic administrative task had overshadowed the team's significant achievement of qualifying for the tournament. "We are not happy about what transpired. And why did they keep it a secret as well?" she questioned.

The Deputy Minister also pointed to the financial costs and the potential damage to player morale. "This can also impact negatively in the minds of the players and the spirit of the players," she remarked, before offering a message of support to the team.

"And I want to say to the players that do not despair. This should not dampen your spirit. Heads must definitely roll."

Calling for complete accountability, Mabe insisted that those responsible for the oversight should be dismissed. "We want accountability. And if it means people must be fired, especially those who were responsible for this, let it be," she declared, criticising SAFA's lack of transparency.

This is not the first administrative controversy to plague Bafana Bafana's World Cup journey. During the qualifying stages, the team's 2-0 win against Lesotho was overturned after they fielded the suspended Teboho Mokoena, an error that nearly cost them their spot in the finals.