South Africa has refused to issue visas to Nigeria’s Under-18 boys’ basketball team, jeopardizing their participation in the 2024 FIBA U-18 Afrobasket competition.
The South African Consulate in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, made the decision to deny the visas. This development has put Nigeria’s scheduled match against Egypt in Pretoria, set for Tuesday, September 3, at risk.
The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) has expressed their disappointment, citing a lack of explanation for the visa denial. Ugo Udezue, the Vice Chairman of the NBBF’s Youth Development Committee, who is already in Pretoria, commented on the situation, saying: “First of all, it’s rather unfortunate that an African country needs a visa to travel to another African country. Secondly, this is against the spirit of sportsmanship.”
“These kids have sacrificed too much for a visa consular officer to deny them the opportunity to represent Nigeria globally. The act of refusing the team visas seems like a deliberate attempt to stop the Junior D’Tigers, as the South African Embassy in Lagos cleared the girls to travel, and they are already in Pretoria and set for their opening match against Egypt on Tuesday,” Udezue added.
