The South African national team members have left for their World Cup training base in Pachuca, Mexico, in preparation for their opening game against the tournament co-hosts on June 11.

The Bafana Bafana team officially left on Monday after their trip was delayed due to visa hurdles. The team departed without assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, who has yet to obtain a United States visa.

Their flight departed Johannesburg following a frantic 24 hours. The squad was originally scheduled to leave on Sunday but was held back due to a delay in obtaining visas, an incident described as an administrative bungle by the South African Football Association (SAFA).

Coaching Staff Left Behind

Mkhalele, a former international winger who played 66 times for Bafana Bafana, including during their World Cup debut in France in 1998, will have to travel later because his visa application was denied.

“They refused the visa, but gave no reasons. It is very difficult to deal with the process when you get no information,” SAFA President Danny Jordaan told the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

“We don’t know why it was denied; we are clutching in the dark, and we hope the matter will be resolved soon. All of the players are on the flight, as well as 99% of the technical staff.”

The South African team is due to play Jamaica in a friendly on Friday before taking on Mexico in the showpiece opening match in Mexico City.

“Now we are very happy we can go to Mexico,” South African coach Hugo Broos said. “The past days have been a little bit stressful with all the problems we had, but the problems are behind us now, and we can focus on what’s coming.”

World Cup Plans

South Africa is in Group A and will face Czechia in Atlanta on June 18, and South Korea in Monterrey, Mexico, six days later.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told the team that if they win the World Cup, South Africa will get an additional public holiday. This means the pressure on the South African team has already begun.