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Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has confirmed that Bafana Bafana will travel to the United States on Monday.
The team was due to depart from OR Tambo International Airport on a chartered flight to Mexico to represent South Africa at the FIFA World Cup early on Sunday morning; however, the departure was postponed after several players had not been issued with visas, allegedly due to an administrative mix-up.
"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 shared in a post on Facebook.
Taking to social media, McKenzie said it was embarrassing and unfair.
"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
According to the South African Football Association, the senior men’s national team experienced challenges regarding Visas for some players and officials, and as a result the group could not travel to North America this morning as originally planned.
The team is expected to travel to Mexico City ahead of the opening match against hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11.
This year’s FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Earlier, Sports, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Peace Mabe expressed concern, stating that "heads must roll" due to this administrative failure.
The Deputy Minister described the situation as "shocking and embarrassing," noting that it indicates a lack of leadership within SAFA. She emphasied that a simple administrative matter, such as failing to secure visas in time, has overshadowed the team's achievement of qualifying for the World Cup.
" We are not happy about what transpired. And why did they keep it a secret as well?
Beyond the logistical issues, the Deputy Minister highlighted the financial implications and the potential negative impact on player morale. ''And this can also impact negatively in the minds of the players and the spirit of the players. And I want to say to the players that do not despair. This should not dampen your spirit. Heads must definitely roll.''
She has called for full accountability and suggested that those responsible for this oversight should face dismissal.
Furthermore, she noted that the lack of transparency from SAFA is unacceptable and that the organization must be open about its challenges.
The Ministry is now seeking a thorough review of this incident to ensure such failures do not recur.
''They must be open to us and tell us what are their challenges. We are not happy.We want accountability.And if it means people must be fired, especially those who were responsible for this, let it be''
The team's journey to the World Cup has been significantly impacted by administrative controversy. During the qualifying rounds, an error nearly cost them their place in the finals.
Specifically, their 2-0 victory over Lesotho was overturned because the team fielded Teboho Mokoena while he was serving a suspension.
IOL
Additional Reporting by Staff Reporter