Fans of two prominent African football nations are facing challenges with their World Cup plans due to a travel ban enacted by the Trump administration.
Senegal and Ivory Coast were included in December on the list of nations facing partial entry restrictions into the United States, which will co-host the tournament from June 11 to July 19 alongside Canada and Mexico.
Supporters of these West African teams attending the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco expressed disappointment over the restrictions, which effectively prevent those without pre-existing visas from traveling to the U.S. to support their teams at the World Cup.
“I don’t understand why the American president would want to exclude teams from certain countries. If that’s the case, perhaps they shouldn’t host the World Cup,” said Senegal supporter Djibril Gueye in an interview with The Associated Press in Tangier, Morocco.
“The United States should provide the means and conditions for all qualified nations to enable their fans to support their teams,” added Gueye.
President Donald Trump mentioned “screening and vetting deficiencies” as the primary reason for the travel bans.
Additionally, fans from Iran and Haiti, two other nations that qualified for the World Cup, will also be barred from entering the U.S., having been included in the initial travel ban announced by the Trump administration.
While players, team officials, and immediate family members traveling for the World Cup are exempt from the restrictions, no provisions have been made for fans.
“We genuinely want to attend, but we are unsure how,” stated Fatou Diedhiou, the president of a group of female Senegal fans. “We wait to see if anything changes before the World Cup; we simply don’t know.”
Sheikh Sy, who supported Senegal at the last World Cup in Qatar, is determined to find a way to the U.S. for this year’s tournament.
“We travel everywhere with our team as national fans of Senegal,” he stated. “Since Senegal qualified for the World Cup, we definitely have to go.”
Senegal, currently in the semifinals of the Africa Cup, is set to play its first World Cup match on June 16 against France at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, followed by a match against Norway at the same stadium four days later. Their final group stage match will be held in Toronto on June 26 against a playoff winner among Bolivia, Suriname, and Iraq.
Ivory Coast also has two matches in the U.S., beginning against Ecuador in Philadelphia on June 14 and concluding their group stage there on June 25 against Curacao after a match against Germany in Toronto.
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Faé remains hopeful that a solution will be found for fans, recalling that Ivorian supporters faced a similar challenge in obtaining visas to attend the Africa Cup in Morocco.
“In the end, everything worked out smoothly, and fans could attend as long as they had match tickets. I’m optimistic that solutions will be found by the time the World Cup arrives,” Faé told The AP in Marrakech.
“Football is a celebration, and this World Cup, which occurs once every four years, represents a significant occasion. It would indeed be a shame to deny our supporters the experience,” Faé added.
Both Senegal and Ivory Coast are now facing the possibility of competing in front of limited fan support, primarily composed of legal U.S. residents, those who already possess visas, or dual nationals from countries unaffected by the travel ban.
Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande commented on the situation, acknowledging that there is little players can do regarding the travel ban. Their focus remains on the game.
“We can manage playing without our supporters,” Diomande said. “Winning and putting forth our best effort on the field is our primary goal.”
Team captain Franck Kessié echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that it is up to politicians to resolve such issues.
“There’s also an events committee run by the Ivorian Football Federation, so I believe, in collaboration with the government, we will put arrangements in place to make it easier for our supporters,” Kessié stated.
The travel ban is not the only obstacle confronting the supporters of Ivory Coast and Senegal as they plan to attend the World Cup.
One fan, adorned in a lion mask for Senegal, mentioned having the option to travel to the U.S. due to his French citizenship. However, he stated he would refrain from doing so as a form of political protest and due to ticket costs.
“It feels as though this is primarily about business, and the grassroots aspect has been overlooked,” said the fan, who introduced himself simply as Pape.
Ivorian supporter Tan Detopeu, speaking from Casablanca, expressed her concern that the team might lack support in the U.S. due to the high cost of tickets, stating, “Even without the travel ban, I doubt many people could afford to attend the World Cup.”