The Nigeria U-18 boys’ basketball team has been refused visas for the 2024 FIBA U18 Afrobasket by the South African Consulate in Abuja. This refusal threatens Nigeria’s participation in the tournament, which begins today in South Africa, with the team set to play Egypt in Pretoria later in the day.
The players, who had been training in Abuja after returning from Abidjan, are in disbelief and distress as they watch their hopes of competing in the FIBA World Championship slip away due to the visa denial.
Ugo Udezue, the Vice Chairman of the Youth Development Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, who is already in Pretoria with the first team, was stunned by the news. He views the visa refusal as a clear act of sabotage.
udezue remarked, “It’s incredibly disappointing that an African nation requires a visa to enter another African country. This undermines the spirit of sportsmanship.
These young athletes have given so much, only to have a consular officer deny them the chance to showcase Nigeria on the global stage.”
The decision to deny visas to the boys’ team contrasts sharply with the treatment of the girls’ team, who were cleared by the South African Embassy in Lagos and are already in Pretoria for their match against Egypt.
The girls, who had been training in Lagos after their success in the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers in Ivory Coast, received their visas as part of a single application submitted by the NBBF for both teams.
The NBBF has lodged complaints with FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, but the issue remains unresolved, with little response from South African officials.
