Members of Nigeria’s junior football team have been refused visas to participate in a tournament in Spain, according to the country’s football federation.
Both players and officials of the under-15 football team, known as the Future Eagles, were affected by the visa denials, as confirmed by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) on Twitter.
As a result, the team will not be able to travel and compete in the Uefa U16 Development Tournament, the NFF stated, without providing specific reasons for the visa refusals.
The Spanish authorities have not issued any comments regarding the visa denials.
The Future Eagles were scheduled to depart from Nigeria on Tuesday for the tournament, where they were slated to play against Belgium, Italy, and England.
The Uefa Under-16 Youth Development Tournament, organized by Europe’s football governing body, aims to expose talented young players to international football and facilitate their progression to higher levels in the sport.
Nigerian athletes and their supporters frequently encounter difficulties with obtaining visas from other countries, despite meeting all visa requirements.
In a similar incident in February, Nigeria’s national football team withdrew from a planned friendly match against Argentina in the US due to visa delays for Nigerian players.
Source-BBC
