US Denies Visas to Senegal Women’s Basketball Team, Stirring Diplomatic Outrage

Photo Source: BBC

The recent decision by the United States to deny visas to several players on Senegal’s women’s national basketball team has stirred both diplomatic and sporting outrage. The team had planned a 10-day training camp in the US ahead of Afrobasket 2025, but that opportunity was cancelled without warning. Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, has described the move as unfair, calling out its disruptive impact on the team’s preparation and morale.

This is more than a visa issue. It is a reminder of how African nations continue to face arbitrary decisions from powerful countries with little regard for consequence. These are elite athletes, not undocumented wanderers. Their mission was clear, legitimate, and backed by national institutions. Yet they were treated with the same suspicion often reserved for economic migrants.

The US under Donald Trump is reportedly reviewing 36 countries, including Senegal, for possible inclusion in a broader travel restriction list. It is hard not to see this as part of a wider posture that penalises African nations without credible justification. How can the US justify such treatment while it prepares to co-host the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028? Is this the face of global partnership?

Africa’s presence in global sport should not be conditional on political bias or immigration paranoia. Respect must be mutual. These women were not just going to train. They were representing their country with pride. What they received instead was rejection wrapped in policy. That is unacceptable.