By Aaior K. Comfort
The Nigeria U-18 boys’ basketball team has been denied visas by the South African Consulate in Abuja, jeopardizing their participation in the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket tournament.
The Nigerian team was scheduled to play against Egypt in Pretoria on Tuesday, but the unexpected visa denial has thrown their plans into disarray. The players, who had been training and camping in Abuja after returning from Abidjan, were left devastated, watching their dreams of competing on the international stage slip away due to this setback.
Ugo Udezue, Vice Chairman of the Youth Development Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), who is already in Pretoria with the first team, expressed shock at the development, calling it “total sabotage.” He criticized the need for an African country to require a visa to travel to another African country, stating that the decision goes 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,” Udezue said.
The situation has raised suspicions of foul play, particularly as the South African Embassy in Lagos granted visas to the girls’ team, who are already in Pretoria and preparing for their opening match against Egypt. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams had qualified for the tournament by winning the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers in Ivory Coast.
The NBBF has lodged complaints with FIBA Africa, the South African hosts, and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, despite calls from officials in Pretoria, the situation remains unresolved, leaving the Junior D’Tigers’ participation in the tournament in serious doubt.
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