Free Helman! Bafana Bafana assistant coach Mkhalele cleared to travel to Mexico

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South ‌Africa[/a]’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.[/p][p]They face co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]​Mexico[/a] 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.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mkhalele-helman/8IKle8Tn/"]Mkhalele[/a]’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.[/p][embed guid="c924a2f0-be64-4bd7-8c1a-505703d04a7f" url="https://x.com/BafanaBafana/status/2061465988143448532?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"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," [/b]South African Football Association President Danny Jordaan told the South African Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday.[/p][p][b]"I want to extend my gratitude and my ‌thanks to all the staff at the ​American Embassy."[/b][/p][p]South Africa are due to play ‌a final warm-up friendly against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jamaica/CWmDb3zj/"]Jamaica[/a] on Friday.[/p][p]They are in Group A at the World Cup and after Mexico face the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Czech Republic[/a] in Atlanta on June 18 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-korea/K6Gs7P6G/"]⁠South Korea[/a] back ⁠in Mexico in Monterrey ‌six days later.[/p]