Veteran journalist Colin Udoh reveals why Falconets captain Joy Igbokwe and Faridat AbdulWahab were denied visas for the U20 Women’s World Cup.Falconets captain Joy Igbokwe and midfielder Faridat AbdulWahab reportedly missed the U20 Women’s World Cup after their visa applications were rejected by Polish authorities.
Veteran journalist Colin Udoh has now revealed the alleged reason behind the decision, claiming the pair gave answers during their visa interviews that did not match information available to the visa officer.The absence of Igbokwe, the team captain, and AbdulWahab was a major setback for Nigeria before the tournament, with the NFF reportedly moving quickly to challenge the visa decisionsAccording to Udoh, several NFF officials independently told him that the federation immediately lodged an appeal with the Polish Embassy after the players were denied visas.
The federation also reportedly used existing relationships with senior embassy officials to take the matter directly to the Ambassador’s office in an attempt to find a solution.However, the appeal was unsuccessful, leaving the Falconets without their captain and another midfielder for the tournament.
Udoh said the intervention at the Ambassador’s office eventually provided an explanation for the rejection, with his NFF sources claiming the players had allegedly been dishonest during their visa interviews.According to the journalist, the players were allegedly asked the same question three times during their interviews and gave answers that were considered untruthful, despite the relevant information reportedly being visible on the visa officer’s computer.“That is why they were denied, and that is also why the appeal failed,” Udoh said, adding that he would not disclose the question involved.
The journalist stressed that the players themselves knew what had been asked and suggested the situation could have been avoided had they provided the expected answers.The visa controversy came as Nigeria prepared for another World Cup campaign, although the Falconets still managed to reach the quarter-finals. Nigeria defeated England’s Young Lionesses 3-0 in the round of 16 before their campaign ended against Colombia in the last eight.Udoh concluded that he hoped Igbokwe and AbdulWahab had learned from the experience and that other players would take greater care during future visa applications.The claims about the interviews were attributed to Udoh’s NFF sources; the specific question and the players’ own accounts have not been disclosed.
