South Africa’s return to the world stage at the FIFA World Cup is in crisis just 11 days before the event. The Bafana Bafana were supposed to depart Johannesburg on May 31 on a chartered plane and make their first big test against Mexico. However, a last-minute administrative mishap has left their World Cup hanging in the balance.

“The South African senior men’s national team has 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 South African Football Association said in a media release.

The situation has now reached a standstill with more than 20 of the travelling party without visas, the majority of whom are players. The delay is at a crucial moment, when coach Hugo Broos was trying to make use of every available day before South Africa’s debut World Cup win since 2010. The Belgian coach had been looking forward to the early arrival in Mexico, where he would want to tweak tactics, get the players fit and help them get used to local conditions before the start of the tournament.

Frustration has also spilled over into government circles. South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Gayton McKenzie, did not hold back in his reaction, saying, “This @SAFA_net travel & visa debacle is embarrassing & grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff. I have informed @SAFA_net that I need a report and action must be taken against those responsible for this mess. We are being made to look like fools.”

SAFA, meanwhile, has moved into urgent mode, trying to steady a situation that is developing day by day. “SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible ahead of the opening match,” the statement added. “We remain committed to ensuring that the team’s preparations for the tournament remain on track and, in the meantime, Bafana Bafana will continue to train in Johannesburg until departure.”

There is a packed schedule waiting if travel is sorted in time. South Africa will close out their warm-up match with Jamaica on 5 June in Mexico ahead of the group stage, which is a crucial game to get the players in top form.  But even that game is murky and depends on the ability of the team to get away.

But with pressure building up to resolve the issue, a quick emergency SAFA meeting was called. In a statement on X, Spokesperson of the South African government Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Clayson Monyela, said that the issue was “receiving attention”, and that the team is working hard behind the scenes to get it off the ground. But it seems dark clouds have been hanging over this campaign for quite some time

South Africa’s rocky road to World Cup qualification

South Africa’s World Cup qualification journey was far from smooth. It almost fell apart because of a major administrative mistake during the qualifiers.

On 21 March 2025, South Africa defeated Lesotho 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match. However, they had fielded Teboho Mokoena, who was supposed to be suspended due to yellow card accumulation. FIFA later ruled that South Africa had committed a breach of regulations by using an ineligible player. As a result, the match was forfeited and awarded as a 3-0 win to Lesotho. Also, South Africa was docked three points and fined around 10,000 Swiss francs.

However, after that miss, they were able to beat Benin and Nigeria from their group and qualify for the finals. Curiously, both South Africa and Czechia will play in Group A on the final two dates of the group stage, with South Africa hosting them both at Atlanta on 18 June and South Korea at Monterrey on 24 June. But before that, they find themselves facing another challenge off the pitch. But they are not the only team dealing with such issues.

Iran, too, has reportedly faced delays in receiving US visas for members of their World Cup squad. Players and staff have attended visa appointments in Ankara, Turkey, while FIFA and the Iranian Football Federation remain in active talks to resolve the situation. The team is still expected to play matches in the United States, including their fixture against New Zealand on 15 June in Los Angeles.

According to Iranian state media, FIFA has informed the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s vice president that administrative processes are ongoing and visas are expected to be issued soon. And with the tournament closing in fast, every delay is now becoming part of the story.