JOHANNESBURG, June 2 (Reuters) - 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, their first since they were hosts 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.
They face co-hosts Mexico in the World Cup opener in Mexico City on June 11 and have 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 are due to play a final warm-up friendly against Jamaica on Friday.
They are in Group A at the World Cup and after Mexico face the Czech Republic in Atlanta on June 18 and South Korea back in Mexico in Monterrey six days later.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Ed Osmond)
