The United States has denied visas to Ivory Coast-based supporters planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the president of the country’s national supporters’ committee.
Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters, said the decision had forced many fans to cancel their travel plans for the tournament, which kicks off on Thursday.
The World Cup build-up has been overshadowed by concerns over US visa policies affecting several participants and officials.
Earlier this week, Somali referee Omar Artan was reportedly denied entry, while some members of the Iranian national team’s support staff were also refused visas.
Speaking about the situation, Kouadio said the supporters had no choice but to abandon their plans to travel.
“The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including the Ivory Coast, on its soil.
“The United States has been clear with us, saying they do not want to see our supporters,” he said.
He added, “This situation hurts us deeply because it prevents us from fulfilling our sacred duty, which is to support our team.”
The CNSE, which operates under the Ivory Coast Ministry of Sport, is responsible for organising travel for the country’s supporters to follow the national team during international competitions.
Ivory Coast 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. Between those fixtures, the team will travel to Toronto for a match against Germany.
In March, Kouadio told AFP that he hoped 500 supporters would travel from the Ivory Coast to attend the tournament.
Despite the visa restrictions, he said a small number of CNSE officials had received authorisation to travel to the World Cup.
A handful of committee officials will be present at the tournament to “look after the Ivorian supporters based in the United States”, Kouadio said.
The CNSE estimates that more than 1,000 Ivorian supporters living in the US will attend the team’s matches during the competition.
AFP