WC Sports MEC Mackenzie alleges BT Football Academy likely didn't use official structures to secure trip to Spain tournament
Cailynn Pretorius
22 July 2025 | 16:23Thirty-four children and four coaches found themselves stranded in Portugal after the academy failed to secure return flights.

FILE: Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sports MEC Ricardo Mackenzie. Picture: @ricardomackenzi/X
CAPE TOWN - Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sports MEC Ricardo Mackenzie alleges the BT Football Academy most likely didn’t use official structures to secure a trip to a tournament in Spain.
Thirty-four children and four coaches found themselves stranded in Portugal after the academy failed to secure return flights.
There are now growing calls for the owners of the academy to be held accountable.
Mackenzie said that if needs be, he would personally lay a criminal complaint to hold those responsible for this sporting blunder.
"So there's an incredible series of events that we, as government, that we will need to investigate and prevent academies like these who clearly didn't go through any formal structure like SAFA or any other organisation to get their hands on some of these international tours and obviously these are not sanctioned tours."
ALSO READ:
• BT Football Academy group stuck in Portugal set to return to CT by Sunday
• 'Phenomenal' South Africans band together to bring stranded football group back home
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