Senegal Captain Unhappy with US Restrictions: Others Can, Why Not Us?

The 34-year-old defender expressed disappointment with former US President Donald Trump's directive, despite existing exemptions for athletes and immediate family members.

Last December, Trump imposed partial travel bans on Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran, and Haiti. This decision came despite one of the World Cup organizers being aware that these nations could qualify for the final tournament.

“The federation arranged everything necessary for us to have our parents and immediate family with us. However, it's true that some fans couldn't fly to the USA. Every team should be able to have their supporters, so I don't understand why people from Africa can't,” Koulibaly was quoted by DPA.

Even the International Football Federation (FIFA) was unable to change the situation. The governing body of world football stated it had no authority to alter national laws.

“I don't want to talk about politics or anything like that. I just want to talk about football, enjoy it, and I believe football is for everyone. I hope the situation gets resolved, because for me, the most important thing is that we want to play in front of our people,” added the Al-Hilal center-back.