BALLS UP

IT WAS meant to be a dream European football experience for young soccer players from the Cape Flats, but it has turned into a nightmare with some boys still stranded in Portugal.

Teens from Brandon Timmy’s BT Football Academy, based in Kraaifontein, embarked on a tour inspired by aspirations of honing their football skills and immersing themselves in Spain’s rich footballing culture.

However, when the group concluded their activities and prepared to return home, reality struck.

The return tickets that were supposed to bring them back to South Africa were mysteriously unavailable.

The shocking news has left the young players and their families in Cape Town reeling in disbelief and despair, with schools reopening today.

Timmy is also listed as the owner of a travel agency, BT Travel.

While a few return tickets had surfaced in the days prior, the broader situation remained dire. 

Efforts to reach Brandon Timmy have thus far been unsuccessful. He did not respond to calls, and his wife, Jonique, terminated a call without comment.

In a radio interview with HeartFM, Timmy said that he had appealed for help from the Department of  International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and that plans were being put into place to get the kids home. 

However, Jayvin Chisholm, a BT Football coach, painted a picture of chaos on the trip.  Having returned home on Saturday with a small group of players, he recounted the emotional and frustrating ordeal of having to leave their teammates behind.

In an exclusive interview with Independent Media, Chisholm said he was “crushed,” largely due to what he described as an apparent lack of planning that forced coaches to take on roles typically reserved for professional tour managers.

Several coaches reportedly paid for various expenses from their own pockets, with one covering more than R60 000 in costs.

Desperate for help, the coaches approached the South African Embassy in Madrid, but their efforts were in vain.

Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has reportedly been made aware of the players' plight. Further responses from authorities and organisers are awaited as the young players and their families continue to seek a resolution to the crisis.