Hugo Broos maintains visa debacle will not disrupt Bafana Bafana’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup – ‘So it's not really that problem…’

Bafana Bafana were originally scheduled to fly out to Mexico on Sunday, May 31, to begin their final preparations for the tournament.

However, unexpected complications regarding visas for certain players and technical staff members forced a 24-hour delay in their departure.

While the squad eventually boarded their flight on Monday morning, they did so without three staff members who were still waiting for their travel documents to be cleared.

Despite the chaotic build up, Broos remains calm about the situation.

Speaking to the SABC, Broos leaned on his extensive career in football to justify his relaxed stance.

"I had the experience of 50 years ago with the Belgian team.

"We went also in high altitude camp in Switzerland, and so I knew that we needed them.

"So, we are now one day later, but that cannot influence the adaptation of high altitude.

"If it should be two or three days, it will be a big problem.

"But now, tomorrow, we are there, and we can start to adapt.

"It's not really that problem that we are one day later," Broos explained, as reported by Soccer Laduma.

His confidence stems from a belief that the science of altitude acclimatisation allows for minor shifts in scheduling.

With the visa saga now largely resolved, Broos is keen to close the chapter on administrative issues and look toward the task at hand.

The 72-year-old coach is fully aware that the clock is ticking, with South Africa’s return to the world stage being one of the most anticipated stories for the nation’s sporting fans.

Every training session in the high altitude of the Mexican capital will be crucial for his tactical blueprint.

"But again, those programs are behind us now, and now we focus on what's coming.

"And surely, reality is, you know, now, of course, we are just 10 days away from the start of the World Cup.

"Yes, yes, and those 10 days we're going very quick, I'm not sure of it.

"Once we are there, we're stopping working, focus on the game, the first game against Mexico.

"So time will pass very, very quickly. It's 10 days, but it's short," Broos concluded.

Bafana Bafana’s immediate itinerary includes a final warm-up friendly against Jamaica this Friday.

This match will serve as the final dress rehearsal for Broos to fine-tune his starting XI and assess the fitness levels of his squad following their long-haul flight and high altitude training.

The real test arrives on June 11, when South Africa faces host nation Mexico in the tournament's opening game at the Estadio Banorte.

Following the Jamaica clash, the team will have less than a week to perfect their strategy as they aim to silence a partisan home crowd and make a statement in their Group A opener.

The stakes could not be higher for a nation that has waited 16 years to see its team compete in the World Cup again.