#LetsFixSAFootball | Mackenzie slams BT Academy owner as stranded kids are all set to return home

Western Cape MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture Ricardo Mackenzie says the remaining BT Football Academy players stranded overseas are expected to arrive back in South Africa by Thursday afternoon.

A group of young players from the Kraaifontein-based academy in Cape Town had travelled to Spain to participate in the Donostia Cup International Tournament. Each child’s trip reportedly cost close to R50,000 to cover all the costs.

The team was scheduled to return to South Africa on July 16, but chaos erupted when it was discovered that they had no tickets to get home.

Several parents were forced to scramble for funds to bring their children back, as safety concerns mounted.

Mackenzie, speaking amid nationwide outrage over the situation, confirmed that the provincial government has begun reviewing the legal standing and operational compliance of the academy. 

He also revealed that he has been in direct contact with the owner of BT Academy, Brandon Timmy, and believes Timmy has not been honest throughout the ordeal.

“The kids should be back home by 3pm tomorrow. We are now going through all the documentation and communication,” Mackenzie told eNCA.

“I myself have been speaking to the owner since Monday morning and I have since gone through to have a consultation with the premier because he has not given us truthful information since then.

“Every hour he says that he is waiting for a loan, and by the time I left for Portugal nothing was done by him. 

“He keeps on giving people the runaround, and I spoke to the coaches on the ground who gave me firsthand information that helped inform my decision to go there.”

Popular local media personality Tracey Lange, through her initiative Tracey Lange Cares, has played a key role in rallying community support and raising funds to assist in bringing the remaining players home. Mackenzie  acknowledged that Lange’s intervention has been critical.

“Even on Tuesday he told me he had paid for the accommodation, but even that was not true because it was paid for by the Tracey Lange people,” Mackenzie added.

The MEC further revealed this was not the first time such a situation had occurred with the BT Academy. A similar incident reportedly took place during a previous trip to Dubai, raising further concerns about the academy’s operations.

“Speaking to the coaches, they informed me that this is not the first time this has happened — they were once stuck in Dubai with the very same company. We will be sure to take action and ensure accountability, but right now it’s just about ensuring that the kids get home safe.”

Mackenzie said this incident has exposed significant gaps in oversight and that the government will tighten regulations around such tours moving forward, particularly when they involve minors traveling abroad.

“This was not a sanctioned tour by anybody.

“Going forward as a country we need to decide how we deal with these things. What is the country’s policy on dealing with unsanctioned tours? We want kids to gain international experience, but they cannot go overseas without formal federation commitment.”

In other reports, South African Football Association (Safa) Cape Town president, Bennet Bailey was quoted saying a full investigation will be launched against BET Academy, which is said to be not registered with Safa.