YAOUNDE, Cameroon -Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund stopped short of saying he suspected foul play, but admitted he was mystified as to why a flight that was full was cancelled, leaving the South Africans stranded in Douala on Tuesday night.
The setback meant Bafana lost a full training session for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Central African Republic on Saturday.
Bafana were en route to Cameroon's inland capital Yaounde, where they will play CAR at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, via the port city of Douala.
On arrival in Douala they learnt their connecting flight was cancelled by the Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair-Co).
They were due to take a flight to Yaounde at 4.30pm Cameroon time yesterday, meaning the South Africans were only able to have a one-hour training session in the pool at their hotel in Douala, instead of a planned full session in Yaounde.
The Douala hotel was hastily arranged by team manager Barney Kujane, who had arrived in Yaounde on an earlier flight via Nairobi, Kenya, at midday on Tuesday. Kujane had only been informed by Camair-Co at 4pm (5pm SA time) that Bafana's flight had been cancelled.
The qualifier was moved to Yaounde from CAR capital Bangui due to the political instability in that country, where 13 South African peacekeeping soldiers were killed by rebels in March.
"Our flight was cancelled and I can't think of the reason why, because there were at least 40 personnel on it when you include our squad of players and the support staff," Igesund said.
"We arrived in Douala late and by the time we got to the hotel Barney had arranged for us it was close to 1am. The bus that arrived to take us there wasn't big enough for the people and all the luggage and equipment we carry with us, so we had to get another bus."
The coach said the Bafana players had slept until about 10am yesterday, and would have had an hour's session in the pool at noon, "just to keep them ticking over", before their flight to Yaounde at 4.30pm.
Kujane said: "The airline's reason they have given me [for the cancelled flight] is that the person who made the booking for us four weeks ago made it on an old schedule. They did not know that a new schedule had been made."
- The SABC has assured South African fans that the match will be live on TV and radio stations, reports Ramatsiyi Moholoa .
Mystery over Bafana flight
YAOUNDE, Cameroon -Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund stopped short of saying he suspected foul play, but admitted he was mystified as to why a flight that was full was cancelled, leaving the South Africans stranded in Douala on Tuesday night.
The setback meant Bafana lost a full training session for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Central African Republic on Saturday.
Bafana were en route to Cameroon's inland capital Yaounde, where they will play CAR at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, via the port city of Douala.
On arrival in Douala they learnt their connecting flight was cancelled by the Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair-Co).
They were due to take a flight to Yaounde at 4.30pm Cameroon time yesterday, meaning the South Africans were only able to have a one-hour training session in the pool at their hotel in Douala, instead of a planned full session in Yaounde.
The Douala hotel was hastily arranged by team manager Barney Kujane, who had arrived in Yaounde on an earlier flight via Nairobi, Kenya, at midday on Tuesday. Kujane had only been informed by Camair-Co at 4pm (5pm SA time) that Bafana's flight had been cancelled.
The qualifier was moved to Yaounde from CAR capital Bangui due to the political instability in that country, where 13 South African peacekeeping soldiers were killed by rebels in March.
"Our flight was cancelled and I can't think of the reason why, because there were at least 40 personnel on it when you include our squad of players and the support staff," Igesund said.
"We arrived in Douala late and by the time we got to the hotel Barney had arranged for us it was close to 1am. The bus that arrived to take us there wasn't big enough for the people and all the luggage and equipment we carry with us, so we had to get another bus."
The coach said the Bafana players had slept until about 10am yesterday, and would have had an hour's session in the pool at noon, "just to keep them ticking over", before their flight to Yaounde at 4.30pm.
Kujane said: "The airline's reason they have given me [for the cancelled flight] is that the person who made the booking for us four weeks ago made it on an old schedule. They did not know that a new schedule had been made."