Visa issues force South Africa to delay World Cup trip: ‘We are being made to look like fools’ - The Athletic

South Africa were due to fly to North America on Sunday. Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images

The South Africa national team have had to delay their trip to North America for the World Cup due to what the country’s sports minister has called “embarrassing and grossly unfair” visa issues.

South Africa are involved in the opening match of the World Cup against co-hosts Mexico on June 11, and are set to be based in Universidad Del Futbol in San Juan Tilcuautla.

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The nation’s football association (SAFA) confirmed in a statement that they were due to fly out on Sunday, but were not able to because of “challenges regarding visas for some players and officials”. SAFA said it will hold an emergency committee meeting before updating the country further, and train in Johannesburg until they are able to leave.

Meanwhile, the situation was condemned by South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie on social media.

“This SAFA travel & visa debacle is embarrassing & grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff,” he said on Sunday. “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.”

Issues in relation to travel have already had a part to play in the run-up to the World Cup.

Fans from several countries could face a deposit of up to $15,000 in bond payments to enter the United States on a travel visa due to the ‘visa bond pilot program’ implemented this year.

Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Cape Verde are all among the countries on the list, with the latter — an archipelago with a population of only 525,000 people — having qualified for the men’s World Cup for the first time in its history.

Athletes and team members will be granted exemption for the World Cup, but will also be subject to a “rigorous screening and vetting” process, the U.S. government’s website outlines. For fans, however, they would have bought tickets for the tournament by April 15 through FIFA’s website and opted in to the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System to qualify for an exemption.

In April, Iranian soccer executives could not attend an annual meeting of the sport’s Asian governing body in Canada due to visa issues, the body’s general secretary said.

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