U.S. President Donald Trump has resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the U.S. and those from seven others would face restrictions. The new ban includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. As mentioned, Haiti is going to the World Cup for the first time since 1974 — and for only the second time ever — after defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in a qualifying match last month. But Haitian soccer fans will be barred from watching their team compete in person in the U.S., with their country being one of 12 subject to a travel ban Trump enacted in June. The ban includes exemptions for World Cup athletes, coaches, “persons performing a necessary support role” and their immediate relatives, but it still applies to fans from those countries. Fans from Iran, another country subject to the ban, find themselves in the same situation. The spokesperson for Iran’s soccer federation also said visas were denied to key members of its delegation, and it was boycotting the draw at the Kennedy Center as a result.
Joseph Duchene a sports broadcaster, journalist and event host with over 15-years-experience in the industry. My career to date has seen me cover multiple World Cups, Olympic Games.
