Nigerian U-15 Football Team Denied Visas for UEFA U16 Tournament in Spain

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has announced that players and officials of the Nigeria U-15 team, also known as the Future Eagles, have been denied visas by the Spanish Embassy. As a result, they will not be able to participate in the UEFA U-16 Development Tournament scheduled to start on Friday.

The UEFA U-16 Development Tournament, an annual competition featuring four national teams, aims to develop young talents in football. Despite being organised by UEFA, non-European nations are invited to participate, with Nigeria receiving a special invitation due to its youth football pedigree.

The Future Eagles were expected to fly into Spain on Tuesday afternoon for the tournament, where they were scheduled to play against Belgium, Italy, and England. No reason was given for the denial of visas to the team by the Spanish Embassy.

However, according to the BBC, the Spanish authorities told the BBC the federation’s claim was “not correct“.

“Our Consulate General in Lagos has gone through the case and wishes to inform that the applicants withdrew their applications at the consulate on Monday, 8th of April,” a representative for the Spanish embassy in Nigeria said.

“No one has denied those visas.”

One Africa News Today is unable to confirm which side is telling the truth, but can confirm that Nigerian athletes and their supporters often complain about being denied visas by other countries, even when they say they have fulfilled all the visa requirements.

This setback comes despite the team’s extensive preparations, including training at the Remo Stars’ Sports Institute in Ikenne and participating in matches against local teams and Moroccan counterparts.

⚠️ Players and officials of the Nigeria U15 team, Future Eagles, have been denied visas by the Spanish Embassy and will therefore not be travelling to take part in the UEFA U16 Development Tournament starting on Friday.

— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) April 8, 2024

The denial of visas highlights the challenges Nigerian athletes often face in obtaining visas for international competitions, despite fulfilling all requirements. In February, Nigeria’s national football team had to pull out of a planned friendly match against Argentina due to visa issues.

While the NFF announced the visa denials, the Spanish authorities clarified that the applicants withdrew their applications at the consulate, contradicting the NFF’s claim of denial. Nonetheless, this development has disappointed Nigerian football fans and highlights the ongoing visa challenges faced by Nigerian athletes and teams.