The United States, Mexico, and Canada joined forces in Pretoria to celebrate South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana in a striking display of sports diplomacy. Picture: US Embassy. As Bafana Bafana gear up for their highly anticipated opening clash against Mexico in the 2026 Fifa World Cup on 11 June 2026, the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture has extended heartfelt thanks to the United States (US) Embassy in South Africa for expediting the players’ travel documents, ensuring the team’s seamless passage to the global stage.
McKenzie confirmed on Sunday night that all players had secured their US visas and would depart for the tournament on Monday, a day later than originally scheduled. While some have blamed the US Consulate for the debacle, McKenzie rejected the criticism. “We should not blame the US Embassy SA.
They even worked on a Sunday for the first time ever and have been only too helpful, bending over backwards. “The fault is entirely on our side, and making statements against the US staffers is not helping the situation for future applications,” said McKenzie. We should not blame the@USEmbassySA.
Read Full Article on The Citizen
[paywall]
The fault is entirely on our side, and making statements against the US staffers is not helping the situation for future applications The Iranian Embassy in South Africa also weighed in on the visa saga. “Despite claims of sports diplomacy, the United States has failed to issue visas to members of the South African national football team. Politics over people.” However, the US Embassy in South Africa rejected the claims.
“Given how gracious Safa was in expressing its gratitude for the speed with which the United States expedited its visas, you have to wonder about these Iranians and their hysterical posts. Either they are incapable of managing the process properly, or they are acting in bad faith.”
[/paywall]
All Zim News – Bringing you the latest news and updates.
