What was supposed to be a dream football trip for BT Football Academy turned into a nightmare after several children were stranded in Europe. 

Cape Town-based BT Academy travelled to San Sebastian on 6 July to participate in the renowned Donosti Cup.

The tournament concluded on 13 July, and it was reported that the three teams (with coaches) were scheduled to return to South Africa on 16 July, with Western Cape schools reopening on 22 July.

However, 37 players are still stranded in Europe without a return flight booked, despite the parents paying R50,000 per child for the trip.

BT Football Academy has since issued a statement in which they explained that getting visas on short notice played a role in securing flights, while high prices for return flights remain the major issue.

This seems contrary to what parents understood they were paying for. According to IOL, parents were advised in 2024 that their children were selected for the tournament and were advised that they would need to pay R50,000 to pay for flights, food, accommodation, and transport. Parents started to pay for this in September 2024.

Additionally, this is reportedly the third time that BT Academy is participating in this tournament, so parents are confused why it seems so disorganised. IOL reported that BT Academy chairperson was organising all the flights and accommodation, but it was only when they were at Madrid airport that it was revealed that they needed to travel to Lisbon airport, as apparently flights back to South Africa are cheaper from Portugal. On arriving in Lisbon, no flight details were provided.

It has been reported that some parents have had to pay an additional R15,000 to secure flights for the 37 stranded children.

BT Academy released a statement on Instagram on 20 July clarifying why air tickets home were not secured ahead of the children leaving and explaining their commitment to getting the children home.

What remains unclear is how they managed to secure Schengen visas to travel to Spain without return air tickets, which is usually a requirement for a Schengen visa.

Overall there are many questions, and parents are increasingly anxious as they’re still unclear when their children will arrive home.