Supporters denied US visas to WWC

Accra, 23 Sept - GNA - Members of the Ghana Football Supporters Club who had planned to cheer the Black Queens at the eighth Women's World Cup holding in the United States are still in Accra, four days after the competition had kicked off.

This is because the consular section of the US Embassy has refused to grant them visas to enable them to travel to the venue of the competition.


Mr Muhammed Awal Abdul Majeed, leader of the group told the GNA Sports on Tuesday that they were turned down even though they had accompanied their application with covering letters from the Ministry of Youth, Education and Sports and another from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.


He said they were totally disappointed because they had paid 18 thousand dollars for accommodation at Los Angeles Back Packers Paradise Hostel and Hostel California and another 11 thousand dollars on tickets and transportation and wondered why they should not be allowed to be part of the soccer party.

Mr Majeed said members of his group have been sufficiently educated on the need to comport themselves, adding that the two ministries agreed to support them after vetting each member of the group.


When the US Embassy officials were contacted for their side of the story, Susan Paker-Burns, Information Officer stated in a fax message that "State Department policy prohibits us from commenting on specific visa cases."