Supporters of Côte d’Ivoire’s national football team have been unable to secure visas to the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup, according to the president of the country’s official supporters’ committee.
Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE), said plans by hundreds of home-based fans to travel to the tournament had been cancelled following visa denials by US authorities.
The development adds to growing concerns over immigration and visa policies ahead of the World Cup, which is being hosted primarily by the United States, alongside Canada and Mexico.
According to Kouadio, the CNSE, which operates under Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Sport, had hoped to organise travel for hundreds of supporters to cheer the Elephants during the tournament.
“The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, on its soil,” Kouadio said.
“This situation hurts us deeply because it prevents us from fulfilling our sacred duty, which is to support our team.”
Earlier this year, the supporters’ body had projected that about 500 fans would travel from Côte d’Ivoire to attend the tournament.
Despite the setback, Kouadio disclosed that a small number of CNSE officials had been granted permission to travel and would assist Ivorian supporters already residing in the United States.
Côte d’Ivoire are scheduled to play two of their three group-stage matches in Philadelphia, where they will face Ecuador on June 15 and Curacao on June 25. Their other group fixture will be against Germany in Toronto, Canada.
The CNSE estimates that more than 1,000 Ivorian supporters based in North America are expected to attend the team’s matches during the competition.
The visa issue follows other travel-related controversies surrounding the World Cup. Earlier this week, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States, while reports also indicated that some members of Iran’s support staff encountered visa difficulties.
