Tasleem Gierdien21 July 2025 | 10:36

Tracey Lange Cares spearheads campaign to bring back BT Football Academy boys stranded in Europe

Melisha from Travel Direct has offered her services to bring back the stranded boys.

Tracey Lange Cares spearheads campaign to bring back BT Football Academy boys stranded in Europe

Tracey Lange and the Tracey Lange Cares (TLC) initiative are getting involved to bring back the group of BT Football Academy players and coaches who are currently stranded in Europe.

The stranded group includes 25 kids between the ages of 13 and 18 years old and three coaches.

BT Football Academy recently participated in the renowned Donosti Cup in San Sebastian and were set to return to South Africa on 16 July.

It's reported that return flights were not booked, despite parents paying R50,000 per child for the trip. 

In a public statement, the academy cited delayed visa processing issues and a lack of funds, which disrupted their flight planning.

The kids are still overseas, with visas that will soon expire. 

ALSO READ: South African kids stranded in Spain as dream football trip turns into nightmare

Coaches are doing what they can to keep up morale while paying for food out of their own pockets. 

There is hope

Melisha of Travel Direct has offered her services to bring back these stranded boys - all donations will be made to her account only (beware of scams; the account below is the only account to transfer donations to).

If you're able to donate, here are the details:

Let's bring these boys back home safely!