Liberia cancel US football friendly after visa denials

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Liberia have cancelled their planned football friendly against Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United after US visas for at least some team members were denied.

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Liberia’s Ministry of Sports announced the cancellation in a statement published on its Facebook page on Wednesday that said “members of the Liberian national team and the official delegation were denied United States visas, making it impossible to field the required delegation and fulfill the contractual obligations within the agreed timeframe.”

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The cancellation comes against the backdrop of the restrictive visa policy of US President Donald Trump’s administration and just days before the end of a World Cup during which many supporters were denied entry to the United States.

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Minnesota United confirmed the match, originally scheduled for July 26, was off without giving a reason.

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“While we were looking forward to welcoming the Liberia National Team and celebrating the strong ties between Minnesota’s Liberian community and our club, circumstances outside of our control have made it necessary to cancel the match,” the club said.

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