US Edition
Cape Flats Soccer Stars Stranded in Spain
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, JUL 20 – Visa delays caused last-minute flight bookings, raising costs beyond parents' R50,000 payments and leaving 28 youth players and coaches stranded without return tickets.
- On Jul 20, 2025, a Cape Town youth football team ended up stranded in Spain, missing their planned 16 July return.
- BT Football Academy said late visa appointment slots left the academy scrambling to book flights days before departure, and return-ticket prices spiked once visas arrived.
- The delegation of 25 children and three coaches faced eviction from their accommodation, and the coach in Spain said he used personal funds for meals and transport.
- Following calls for help, the government escalated the case to DIRCO, while Hon Alvin Botes guided the coach to the SA Embassy in Madrid.
- As schools in the Western Cape reopen, organizers say tickets are being secured, and BT Academy has confirmed they’re buying tickets to get everyone back.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Cape Town kids stranded in Spain after football tour falls apart
A Cape Town-based youth football academy faces criticism after a group of 28 people got stranded in Spain following a failed international tour. 25 children between the ages of 13 – 18, and 3 coaches were part of a delegation. The group travelled to San Sebastián to compete in the Donosti Cup, one of Europe’s largest youth football tournaments. Nearly a week after their scheduled return, many kids remain stuck overseas without return flights. CA…
SA Kids Stranded in Europe Are Finally Coming Home
Parents were panicked, flights had failed, and hope was fading… but South Africans didn’t sit back. They acted. And that made all the difference. Europe(23 June 2025) – A football tour meant to inspire became a distressing ordeal for 28 young South Africans… until ordinary people stepped up and did something extraordinary. The Cape Town-based BT Football Academy recently travelled to Spain to take part in the prestigious Donosti Cup, one of th…
Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, is on his way to Spain to bring home a Cape Town soccer team, while a fundraising campaign was launched on Monday to fly the remaining 28 back.
DIRCO says stranded football team in Spain is safe as return flights still pending
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that the group of young football players and coaches stranded in Spain is safe and currently staying in a hotel. This follows the failure of a Cape Town-based youth football academy to secure return flights. The group, made up of 25 children aged between 13 and 18 and three coaches, reportedly travelled to San Sebastián to take part in the Donosti Cup. CAPE TOWN ACADEMY …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
