Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana have travelled to Mexico for the 2026 FIFA World Cup without assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, after his United States visa application was denied by the US Consulate General without explanation.
Head of security Mdu Mbatha also had to remain behind for the same reason. The South African Football Association said it is working to resolve both cases.
The development has drawn sharp criticism from former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Innocent Mayoyo, who questioned how SAFA allowed the situation to reach this point. 
“When we talk of patriotism, what is stopping Helman Mkhalele from having a visa? An FA can organise a passport for you even today if they want to. So, you mean to tell me that, all along, SAFA didn’t know Mkhalele was going to be part of the World Cup team?” Mayoyo told KickOff.
“It troubles me because Mkhalele is a very vital cog in this Bafana team. That alone tells you we are not 100% ready for this World Cup.”
Mayoyo said the absence of Mkhalele at this stage of the tournament preparations was a serious blow.
“This is a big blow, and it will prevent us from planning accordingly. At this last minute, you can’t think of anybody that can replace Mkhalele as assistant coach to Broos. He’s always been the first and second assistant. Now this has created a problem. It has backfired badly on SAFA. What kind of national team is going to a World Cup without an assistant coach?” he said.
Mkhalele, affectionately known as “Midnight Express” from his days at Orlando Pirates and Jomo Cosmos, is expected to travel to Mexico at a later stage once his visa and paperwork have been resolved.
Head coach Hugo Broos has previously spoken at length about Mkhalele’s importance to the team, describing him as the brains behind Bafana’s success and singling him out for his role in the team’s third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
“Helman knows SA football two times better than I do. When I started as a coach here, I needed to get players for a friendly game. Helman chose the team because I did not know who I had to take,” Broos has said.
Broos has also previously recommended that SAFA appoint Mkhalele as his successor after the World Cup.
“The best thing to do is for Helman to become the coach after me. You’ll then have a fluid succession plan. When he takes over the team, the way of working and philosophy will stay the same. There will be many African practices incorporated into the team because I am European,” Broos told the media after the 2023 Afcon.
Bafana departed Johannesburg on a charter flight on Monday after securing visas for all players, having originally been scheduled to leave on Sunday. The team’s opener is against co-hosts Mexico at the 87,523-seater Estadio Azteca on 11 June. It is South Africa’s first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010.
