President Cyril Ramaphosa, Helman Mkhalele and Bafana Bafana Captain Ronwen Williams at the FIFA World Cup Original Trophy Tour at the Union Buildings on January 30, 2026, in Pretoria. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

South Africa assistant coach Helman Mkhalele has received his U.S. visa and ​will leave for the team’s World Cup base ‌in Pachuca, Mexico on Tuesday after players ​and the technical team left ⁠for the tournament without him on Monday.

South Africa’s departure for the global finals, its first since it was the host in 2010, has been mired in chaos after it emerged ‌an administrative bungle meant most players and ‌technical ⁠staff did not have the required ⁠visas on the day of their intended travel via charter flight on Sunday.

South Africa faces co-host Mexico in the World ​Cup opener in ‌Mexico City on June 11 and has missed at least one day of preparation and acclimatisation to the altitude of Pachuca.

Mkhalele’s ‌initial visa application was denied by the ​U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg for unspecified reasons, along with that of ⁠the team’s head of security, Mdu Mbatha, but both have now been successfully processed.

“I can confirm ‌that Helman and Mbatha have got their visas, and they will be leaving to join the team. Tomorrow (Wednesday), all of them will be together,” South African Football Association President Danny Jordaan told the South African Broadcasting Corporation ‌on Tuesday.

“I want to extend my gratitude and my ​thanks to all the staff at the American Embassy.”

South Africa is due to ⁠play a final warm-up friendly against Jamaica on ⁠Friday.

It is in Group A at the World Cup, and after Mexico, faces the Czech Republic in Atlanta on June 18 and South Korea back in Mexico ​in Monterrey six days later.

Published on Jun 02, 2026