US bans Ivory Coat supporters from World Cup
Supporters of the Ivory Coast national team based in the country have been unable to secure visas to travel to the United States for the World Cup, according to the head of the nation’s official supporters’ organisation.
The tournament, which begins on Thursday, has already faced controversy over visa restrictions imposed by the United States, the primary host country. In recent days, Somali referee Omar Artan was reportedly denied entry, while some members of Iran’s support staff have also encountered visa issues.
Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE), revealed that many Ivorian fans had to abandon plans to attend the competition. The CNSE, which operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports, coordinates overseas travel for supporters following the national team.
According to Kouadio, the visa denials effectively prevented the group from making the trip.
“The journey has been cancelled because the American authorities have made it clear that supporters from certain countries, including Ivory Coast, are not welcome,” he said.
He expressed disappointment over the development, noting that it had deprived supporters of the opportunity to stand behind their national team on football’s biggest stage.
“This is a painful situation for us because our mission is to support our players wherever they compete,” he added.
Ivory Coast are scheduled to play two of their three group-stage matches in Philadelphia, facing Ecuador on June 15 and Curacao on June 25, with a fixture against Germany in Toronto between those games.
Earlier this year, Kouadio had expressed hope that around 500 supporters would make the trip to North America.
Despite the setback, he noted that a small number of CNSE officials had received approval to travel and would assist Ivorian fans already residing in the United States.
The supporters’ body estimates that over 1,000 Ivory Coast fans will be present at the team’s matches during the tournament.