Falconets captain Joy Igbokwe among players denied World Cup visas

Falconets captain Joy Igbokwe is among the Nigeria players who have not secured visas to enter Poland for next month’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Only 15 players have received visas from the Polish embassy, leaving several members of the squad still without clearance to travel.

The Nigeria Football Federation is considering an alternative route for those whose applications were unsuccessful. The federation plans to approach another European embassy to determine whether the affected players can still obtain the documents needed to join the team in Poland.

The visa issue comes alongside a separate dispute involving striker Janet ‘Semenya’ Akekoromowei. The Benfica forward is included in Nigeria’s 21-player World Cup squad, but the Portuguese club has instructed her to return to Portugal.

Benfica’s position is that the player was not released correctly by the club. Akekoromowei has appealed to FIFA, sending the world governing body a letter asking it to intervene in the dispute.

Nigeria’s opening match is scheduled for September 7 against Spain, two days after the tournament begins on September 5. The unresolved visa applications and the disagreement over Akekoromowei’s release have therefore emerged before the Falconets’ first fixture.

Igbokwe’s inclusion among the players without Polish visas adds the team captain to the group whose participation arrangements remain unsettled. The NFF’s proposed approach to another European embassy is aimed at finding a way for those players to travel to the World Cup, while FIFA’s response will determine the next step in Akekoromowei’s case.