WATCH | Jordaan claims visas saga should serve as ‘motivation’ for Bafana

As Bafana Bafana finally departed for Mexico on Monday afternoon in high spirits after Sunday’s visas delay,Safapresident Danny Jordaan has reasoned the saga won’t affect the team at the World Cup. Bafanaplayers left OR Tambo International Airport on Monday afternoon for Mexico City, where they will start their preparations for the World Cup kicking off next Thursday, when they take on the hosts in the opening match. Despite missing a day of preparations in a high-altitude area in Pachuca, Mexico, Jordaan bizarrely claimed the visas saga could instead serve as motivation.

“This team will not be affected in any way. We spent 24 hours when we played against Nigeria [June 24, World Cup qualifier], 11 hours on the plane. The players didn’t get off, they sat in the flight for 11 hours,” Jordaan told the media after the players departed.

“We arrived in Uyo, just a day before the match and we arrived in the afternoon and the next day we played against Nigeria. “The players said those experiences motivated them. It kept them focused.

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So, what you see is a team that is focused and determined not to let South Africans down. I believe in them and they are experienced players. “You saw Mamelodi Sundowns going into the lion’s den in Morocco [CAF Champions League final] and had the determination to see it through.

It is not the first time they have had these problems, but we believe they will use that as extra motivation to do well.” Only assistant coach Helman Mkhalele is without a visa, and Jordaan said it was unclear why it was not approved yet. “Well, we still need one passport from the Americans. Of course, they refused and they gave no reasons [for not giving Mkhalele a visa].

It is very difficult to deal with the process where you don’t get information,” he said. “We hope that will also be resolved and that all our people will be gone.” “It is now the responsibility of not just one person, but four people. We don’t want any problems as we go into the final stage. I had a meeting with them last night [Sunday], the coach and the captain Ronwen Williams and I’m happy that everything is sorted.”

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