ONE of the soccer players who recently returned from Spain where some of his teammates remain stranded has detailed how they had to calm the younger ones upon hearing that they would not be returning home.

The group of 14 to 19 year olds and their coaches had participated in the Donosti Cup 2025 in Spain. They were told the total fee was R48,500. This was meant to include everything: tracksuit, kit, luggage bag, water bottle, peak cap, food, transport, accommodation, and flights. They were also promised a visit to the Real Madrid stadium.

Everything went well, until the day they were set to return on July 16, when they learned they were not going home because their return flights had not been booked. 

BT Academy has cited delayed visa appointments as the reason it failed to book return flights in time, leading to unaffordable prices and leaving the group of 38 stranded.

Some of the children have managed to return home, while others are currently stuck in Lisbon, Portugal. They travelled there as it would be cheaper to get home. As fundraising efforts continue, nine tickets have reportedly been booked, with 19 still to go as they call on the public to keep donating. 

The under-19 team captain, Chad Harper from Kraaifontein, was one of the team members who managed to return home. 

He said the moment they got to Madrid after leaving the tournament in San Sebastian, he knew something was wrong. The original plan was to visit the stadium in Madrid which never happened as the hours flew by. 

“Coaches had to buy supper with their own money and cook for us past 10pm. We ate and then went to sleep. The next day, the coaches were clearly stressed. As the team captain, they pulled me aside and explained that ‘We might not be leaving tonight’. They didn’t want to go into detail. My teammates were frustrated.” 

Eventually they were kicked out of the hotel. The coaches then approached the embassy. 

“One coach pulled me aside again, saying, ‘We need to keep the kids calm.’ I had to help keep up the morale of the team. Players started getting frustrated. Eventually, the coaches returned. Everyone went to buy snacks because we realised we were staying another day. The coaches again bought us supper. On Thursday, a message went out to parents saying an additional R15 000 was needed for us to come home. That wasn’t part of the contract. I was stressed, not just for myself but for the other kids.”

His mother Hailey managed to pay the additional funds needed and her son flew home with eight others from Lisbon but it was the first time they learned the return flights had not been booked.

“We received an itinerary that made everything seem sorted, including the connecting flights and everything.” 

She said after paying the additional funds, she dealt directly with the travel agent. 

“It has been such a traumatic experience, to have my son home, I am eternally grateful to God. But I am still worried about the other kids. We are all in this together. We will only be okay when the last child and coach arrive in Cape Town.”

For Chad, the tournament itself was a great opportunity and incredible exposure. In their group, there were 256 teams and they made it to the round of 16.

BT Academy said: “Prior to departure, all essential elements of the tour, including accommodation, food, tournament registration, and other logistical requirements were paid and secured. Our team was excited and well-prepared to represent South Africa in the prestigious Donosti Cup. Unfortunately, our preparations were significantly impacted by delays in securing visa appointment slots. Despite our early attempts to begin the visa process, we were only granted appointments much later than planned. As a result, visas were received merely a week before the intended departure. This created immense pressure on our team to secure flights within an extremely short timeframe.

“The cost of return flights so close to the departure date proved unaffordable. The boys and girls successfully participated in the Donosti Cup tournament. However, upon conclusion of the tournament, the return flight prices remained prohibitively high, and we were still unable to secure tickets home. In the meantime, we made the decision to extend accommodation for all players and ensured they received meals every day. We acknowledge that our limited communication has caused concern. Please understand that we are working around the clock to find solutions to bring all players back home as soon as possible.” 

South Africans have come together to try and help, including the Tracey Lange Cares (TLC) initiative with a travel agent onboard to facilitate the return of the group. The travel agent can be reached via: melisha@traveldirect.online

Cape Times

Source link