Former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund says SAFA should take responsibility for the travel chaos that disrupted the team’s journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as he also evaluates Nicaragua and Jamaica as international friendly opponents.
Some administrative bungling saw Bafana depart for Mexico on Monday, instead of Sunday as initially planned. More than half of South Africa’s delegation had not secured their visas to enter North America, leaving the team grounded in Johannesburg on Sunday.
After the Department of International Relations and Cooperation intervened, the team left for Mexico on Monday, but without two members of the travelling party. Coach Hugo Broos‘ assistant Helman Mkhalele and security head Mdu Mbatha faced further delays in obtaining their visas and managed to leave for the World Cup late Tuesday.
There were fears that the chaotic travel could psychologically affect Broos’ side’s preparation for the global tournament. This also comes as the coach stated that his players were not in the right mindset at the 2025 AFCON finals, where their campaign ended in the round of 16. They had arrived at the continental tournament, keen to improve on the third-place finish they had achieved at the 2023 edition.
IGESUND RALLIES BAFANA BAFANA TO GET OVER SHAMBOLIC TRAVELLING
Igesund feels Bafana can get over the travel turmoil, but acknowledges that it was a “disappointment,” and there should be accountability.
“It’s disappointing that the coach and the team were let down. I don’t know the circumstances of what happened. I’ve just been reading everything in the papers, but it’s not good for the team,” Igesund told FARPost.
“There have been some blaming here and there. I hope the guys are now above whatever happened and will not lose focus. They should just turn negatives into positives, fight and get the results. Mexico is a very tough opponent. Being a host, they are one of the favourites. But Bafana should do well. I hope this Jamaica game goes ahead and everything goes well.
“With this blaming, SAFA should be responsible for whatever happened in the last few days. People made mistakes, and they should be responsible.”
Following visa delays that cost Bafana a crucial day of travel and preparation, SAFA has confirmed the issue is now resolved, and World Cup plans remain firmly on course. The association apologised to the nation for the unexpected disruption, thanking DIRCO and the US Consulate in Johannesburg for working overtime to issue the team’s visas.
To prevent further logistical hurdles and streamline operations during the global tournament, SAFA has established a three-member organising committee to manage administrative affairs expeditiously. The committee comprises: David Molwantwa [Head of Delegation], Mxolisi Sibam [Chairperson of the Finance Committee] and Vincent Tseka [Team Manager].
IGESUND RUBBISHES CRITICISM ON BAFANA BAFANA FRIENDLY MATCH OPPONENTS
The travel debacle follows recent criticism regarding the calibre of Bafana Bafana’s warm-up opponents. The national team played out a goalless draw against 131st-ranked Nicaragua last week, Friday, and will wrap up their preparations against Jamaica [ranked 71st] on Saturday. This serves as the final rehearsal before they face Mexico on Thursday, 11 June, in a highly anticipated World Cup opening match that repeats the historic 2010 showpiece.
“Millions of fans are behind Bafana, supporting the team. I don’t think this [friendly matches] is the moment to test yourself,” the former Orlando Pirates coach added.
“We tested ourselves during the World Cup qualifiers. Hugo Broos has a plan, and he knows how he wants to play. He picked his opponents in friendlies that could be similar to Mexico. So, he knows why he played those teams.”
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