ALBAWABA - More teams face US entry issues as the World Cup kick-off gets closer, after South Africa, Iran and Iraq are the latest victims.
Iraqi National Team
“Why is America hosting the World Cup if it is so hostile to foreign nationals,” said Aymen Hussein, Iraq’s star footballer after he was detained and interrogated for seven hours after arriving in the US.
After seven hours of humiliating detainment for the nation’s star footballer he was allowed in, but his team's photographer was not, according to an official who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee, but has close contacts with the team.
The national team photographer, Talal Salah, was held for 10 hours before being denied entry to the US. The Iraqi team is set to face France, Senegal and Norway in Group I. With the tournament beginning on Thursday.
Iranian National Team
Similarly, the Iranian national team was finally granted their visas, however they were hit with a same-day entry-exit restriction, meaning that the Iranian team enters US soil only to play their match and have to leave immediately afterward; with no overnight stays allowed in the country.
“We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day.” The Iranian ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, confirmed on Saturday. While the players were granted visas, many of the team’s staff were not, including football federation chief Mehdi Taj, worsening the already sour situation for the Iranians and making an American training camp for the team impossible.
Iran faces New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21 respectively before a final group game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26, all requiring same-day round trips for the team. This marks the first time in history that a World Cup host nation receives a country it is actively at war with.
