South Africa's national football team, affectionately known as Bafana Bafana, faced significant delays in their travel to Mexico for the upcoming World Cup, a situation attributed to persistent visa issues. This administrative challenge drew sharp criticism from the country's Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, who publicly demanded a thorough explanation from the South African Football Association (SAFA).

Minister McKenzie expressed his strong disapproval on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "We are being made to look like fools" and asserting that the "Safa travel & visa debacle is embarrassing & grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff." He further instructed SAFA, "I need a report and action must be taken against those responsible for this mess," highlighting the severity of the "administrative bungle," a term also used by national broadcaster SABC.

SAFA acknowledged the predicament, issuing a brief statement that confirmed the team had "experienced challenges regarding Visas for some players and officials" and that they were "working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible ahead of the opening match." Efforts were reportedly underway to secure US visas, which are crucial as Bafana Bafana is scheduled to play their second World Cup game against the Czech Republic in Atlanta, USA. The government's international relations department also became involved in resolving the issue.

The team is slated to play a friendly against Jamaica in Mexico on Friday before their World Cup opening match against co-host Mexico on June 11. Following this, they will travel to Atlanta for their game against the Czech Republic. Despite the initial delays, Minister McKenzie later confirmed that all players had received permission to travel, with a chartered flight scheduled for Monday. However, some key staff members, including the assistant coach, team doctor, head of security, and one analyst, had not yet secured their visas as of Sunday evening.

South Africa is one of ten African nations participating in the expanded 48-team World Cup. This pre-tournament friendly against Jamaica serves as a vital preparation for Bafana Bafana, who last appeared at the finals when they hosted the event in 2010. Their recent performance included a 0-0 draw against Nicaragua in their final home match, a result described as "disappointing" by some reports, extending their winless streak to four games.