Bafana World Cup Visa Crisis
Outgoing Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka has allegedly committed another major administrative blunder, with the South African Football Association (SAFA) failing to secure player visas in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The senior men’s national team was scheduled to depart for Mexico this morning, but the administrative gaffe has completely disrupted their travel and preparation plans.
This latest mishap is bound to further infuriate Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, who previously expressed deep dissatisfaction with team logistics and discipline during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Broos, who is set to step down at the end of the World Cup, had been desperate for a smooth preparation cycle. His plans had already been compromised by financial constraints, forcing SAFA to arrange warm-up friendlies against lowly-ranked nations.
Following the travel delay, SAFA confirmed it will hold an emergency meeting tonight to resolve the crisis. In the meantime, the squad will continue training in Johannesburg as normal.
“The South African Football Association (SAFA) wishes to update the nation on Bafana Bafana’s travel plans to Mexico ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” the association said in an official statement.
“The South African senior men’s national team has experienced challenges regarding visas for some players and officials. As a result, the group could not travel to North America this morning as originally planned.
“SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible, ahead of the opening match of the global tournament against hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11, 2026. We remain committed to ensuring that the team’s preparations for the tournament remain on track. In the meantime, Bafana Bafana will continue to train in Johannesburg until departure.”
This is not the first time Tseka has caused administrative chaos for SAFA. He was allegedly at fault for a bookkeeping error regarding Teboho Mokoena’s yellow cards during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho in March last year. That oversight resulted in FIFA docking South Africa three points from a match they won, alongside a hefty fine. Despite that setback, Bafana Bafana managed to secure World Cup qualification during the final round of fixtures in October.
Like coach Broos, Tseka is expected to sever ties with SAFA immediately after the tournament concludes.
“SAFA will hold an Emergency Committee Meeting this evening (Sunday, 31 May 2026), and a further update will be communicated to the nation after its conclusion,” the statement continued. “This year’s FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.”
Bafana Bafana were originally scheduled to play their final pre-tournament friendly against Jamaica on North American soil, but that fixture now looks highly unlikely to go ahead.
