The Gabon national under-16 football team was unable to travel to France to play in an international tournament because they did not obtain their visa in time. The arguments of the French consulate are struggling to convince Gabon.
The Gabon national under-16 football team was due to participate in the Montaigu tournament this Sunday, April 2 in France. But the Consulate General of France refused to request a visa from the Gabonese Football Federation for its players before changing its mind and finally granting it.
Following the first refusal, the selection which was to take off last Thursday did not board the plane. The French diplomatic representation had justified its decision by stating that there are “reasonable doubts as to the will of the members of the delegation to leave the European area after the expiry of the visa”.
The argument makes Gabon cringe. “AfrikaFoot is still a Gabonese institution. I do not see how the prohibition of a visa application by an institution can pose a problem. Above all, the answer given by the consulate is an answer that does not convince anyone”, gets carried away by Marc Ona, president of the NGO Turn the page in Gabon. The activist also recalls that Libreville has just exempted nationals of G20 countries to enter its territory.