Friday, October 24, 2025 - Renowned sports journalist, Charles Anazodo, has slammed the South African Consulate in Lagos for denying visas to 14 out of 26 Nigerian footballers from Remo Stars’ club.
Remo Stars’ preparations for their CAF Champions League
return leg against Mamelodi Sundowns were thrown into confusion due to visa
delays by the South African Consulate General in Lagos.
According to Sports Village Square, despite
the Nigerian club’s early application for travel documents, only a group of the
team received entry visas, forcing the cancellation of their initial travel
plans.
Club officials told Sports Village Square that
out of 43 visa applications submitted on October 10, nine days before last
Sunday’s first leg in Abeokuta, only 11 were initially approved. The number was
later increased to 26, but just 12 were players.
As a result, Remo Stars had to cancel their early Thursday
morning flight booking with Air Tanzania and their hotel reservations in South
Africa.
Reacting to the news, Anazodo criticized the decision
as unfair and unprofessional, arguing that it reflects poorly on African
football.
He also questioned why the consulate would refuse visas to
part of the team, allowing only 12 out of 26 players to travel, especially when
the South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns, faced no issues entering Nigeria for
their own fixtures.
He wrote:
The
shenanigans in African football just seems to have no end. How and why will the
South African consulate in Lagos deny Remo stars contingent of deserving visas?
Only 12 players granted passage out of the 26 who had their passports stamped.
This is unfair to say the least and very unsporting. Sundowns journey to
Nigeria was without incident.@CAF_Onlinemust look at these kind of antics
seriously and sanction clubs involved in such disturbing behaviour. African
football has to grow beyond such petty things.@RemoStarsSCis a decent club and
doesn't deserve treatment like this.
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