A group of South African teenagers remains stranded in Europe after a youth soccer tournament, sparking widespread concern and leaving parents desperate for answers.
DIRCO’s hands are tied as teens remain stranded in Spain
The BT Football Academy, which arranged the trip, has now issued a statement to clarify what went wrong.
The teens, who were selected to represent the academy at the Donosti Cup 2025 in Spain, had travelled with their coaches for what was meant to be a dream tour.
The group of 38 included under-14, under-19, and girls teams.
According to one family member, parents were told the R50,000 payment per child would cover all costs, including flights, accommodation, food, and transport.
Initially, all seemed well. The under-19s made it to the finals, and the younger teams also performed admirably.
Photos, videos, and stories from the children painted a picture of excitement and pride.
But the mood changed drastically when the group arrived at Madrid Airport for their return flight to South Africa.
The academy’s chairperson, who handled travel arrangements, reportedly failed to send through flight tickets as promised.
“He kept saying, 10 minutes, 20 minutes – but hours went by,” said the grandmother of a 13-year-old player from Kraaifontein.
After days of delay, the group relocated to Portugal in hopes of securing cheaper flights, but were again left stranded. Coaches began using their own money to buy food, and at one point, the group was reportedly evicted from a hotel.
“It’s traumatising,” one parent said.
“This was his first time on a plane. Now he’s stranded.”
While families turned to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the agency said its scope in this matter was limited.
“Unfortunately this does not fall directly within our consular services,” said spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.
“But we will explore all avenues to assist.”
What BT Academy said about the nightmare
In a public statement, BT Football Academy addressed the crisis, pointing to visa delays as the root of the problem.
“Despite our early attempts to begin the visa process, we were only granted appointments much later than planned,” the academy said.
As a result, visas were only approved a week before departure, leaving the academy unable to secure affordable return flights during the European summer holiday peak season.
The academy also said they had reached out to multiple government departments for help before the trip.
“Regrettably, no response was received,” they stated.
In the meantime, the academy is covering additional costs out of pocket.
“We acknowledge that our limited communication has caused concern. Please understand that we are working around the clock to bring all players home,” the statement read.
Commenting on the situation, sports commentator Justin Ford noted online:
“This is a tragic outcome for what should have been a highlight in these kids’ football journeys. More should’ve been done to assist earlier.”
Despite the difficulties, BT Football Academy ended their message with a thank you to families and supporters:
“This was an unprecedented event in our history, and we are grateful for your patience.”