Kalidou Koulibaly said some Senegal supporters could not fly to the United States for the World Cup, then asked why fans from Africa were being kept out while the team played in MetLife Stadium. Senegal opened its tournament against France on Tuesday and lost 3-1.
Koulibaly After France
"The federation did the work for us to have parents or our close family with us." Koulibaly said that after Senegal’s defeat, then added: "But it’s true that some supporters couldn’t fly to America."
He pushed the point further. "I think that every team can have their people, so I don’t understand why people from Africa cannot have their people," he said. "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."
United States Travel Ban
In December, Donald Trump signed a proclamation that imposed partial travel bans on Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti. The proclamation suspended entry into the United States for immigrants and non-immigrants, including the visitor category used for business and tourism, which is the category traveling fans needed for the World Cup in the United States.
The White House said the proclamation included exemptions for athletes, support staff, immediate relatives, lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry served U.S. national interests. Traveling fans were not included in those exemptions.
Koulibaly said Senegal appreciated support from the diaspora already inside the country. The article said central Harlem in New York City has a particularly strong community of people with ties to Senegal, and that was the pool of support available when some fans could not make the trip.
Vozinha’s Visa Problem
The same travel and visa rules surfaced in another World Cup case. On Monday, Vozinha said visa issues stopped his mother from witnessing his World Cup heroics in person. The U.S. State Department later said it was working to secure her arrival and had no record of her applying for a visa.
Vozinha made seven saves during Cape Verde’s goalless draw with Spain and was named player of the match. The visa program also reached far beyond one family: nationals from 50 countries, including Cape Verde, were required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 under the Visa Bond Pilot Program to be granted a tourist visa to enter the United States.
For Senegal, the practical result was narrower support in the stands and more pressure on the diaspora already in New York City. Koulibaly’s complaint left the sharpest unresolved issue in place: how many Senegalese fans were actually prevented from entering the United States for the tournament.
