Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly has publicly criticised the ongoing visa issues in the United States that have prevented many fans from African nations, including Senegal, from attending the World Cup. The defender voiced his frustration, stating that 'Africa cannot have their people' at the tournament.
Senegal's World Cup Opener Without Full Fan Support
Senegal began their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 defeat against France on Tuesday night in New York. However, a significant number of Senegalese supporters were unable to attend the match due to a travel ban imposed by the US government. In December, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation that partially banned travel from Senegal, along with Ivory Coast, Iran, and Haiti — all World Cup participants. The proclamation suspended entry for immigrants and non-immigrants, including those traveling for business or tourism, which would have applied to fans wishing to attend the World Cup.
Koulibaly's Statement
Koulibaly, who formerly played for Chelsea and now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, told The Athletic: 'The federation did the work for us to have parents or our close family with us, but it’s true that some supporters couldn’t fly to America. I think that every team can have their people, so I don’t understand why people from Africa cannot have their people. I don’t want to speak about politics or something like this. I just want to speak about football, enjoy football, and I think football is for everybody. I just want to tell this and I hope that the situation will be OK, but for me the most important is that we have to play for our people.'
Exemptions and Impact on Fans
The travel bans included exemptions for athletes, support staff, and immediate relatives of players participating in the tournament, but not for traveling fans. Koulibaly acknowledged the fans who were present at MetLife Stadium, noting that Central Harlem in New York City has a strong Senegalese community, making the trip across the Hudson River relatively short for some.
Visa issues have cast a shadow over the World Cup. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who delivered a heroic performance in his country's draw against Spain, revealed that his mother could not attend due to visa problems. He said: 'I cried after the game because I grew up with my grandparents when I was a kid, and they could not be there. They passed away a few years ago. My mum could not be here either for a visa issue, and the money we had to pay for it. We did not manage to do this in time.'
Community and Support
Despite the challenges, the Senegalese community in New York showed up in limited numbers to support their team. Koulibaly expressed gratitude for those who made it, but the overall sentiment remains that the visa policy has unfairly restricted African fans from enjoying the World Cup alongside their teams.
