Fifa, Caf ought not to lock Africa out of World Cup

Just a little over a week from today, the 2026 Fifa World Cup will kick off from June 11 to July 19, 2026 hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Ordinarily, this is the biggest sporting event of the year. Millions of football fans will travel for the event and billions will watch on TV. Amidst all the frenzy, unfortunately, the recent breakout of Ebola in DR Congo has turned the tables on African fans.

As a result of the breakout, football enthusiasts from DR Congo neighbours such as Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Angola and Congo-Brazzaville may not travel to the global showpiece on grounds that they are ‘suspicious.’

It is a fact that we share borders with DR Congo but that doesn’t mean we should be flagged. Yet, I have heard of red flags being signaled to our passports and a number of people have already been denied visas on grounds of Ebola. For the record, Uganda does not have an Ebola outbreak that justifies locking millions of Africans out of the World Cup.

We have fought Ebola before, and we have won. Under President Museveni, Uganda has faced pandemics such as HIV/Aids, Covid-19, and we have tamed them all. For clarity, there have been just five cases and one death confirmed in Uganda.

So, the timing could not have been worse. The Ebola scare is plastered across global headlines right as fans start applying, paying visa fees and planning to travel for the World Cup. Suddenly, countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo have been deemed “too risky” for entry into North America.

Juxtapose the situation with how the world handled the recent Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship where more than five people died. Lest we forget, Europe also suffered the outbreak of the Mpox as well as the Avian influenza that killed hundreds.

Yet in all this, the World Health Organisation (WHO) did not issue any scare. But now, because it involves Africa, we have all been bundled together as ‘suspicious.’ And let’s say it plain: it looks like the Arsenal celebration in Uganda scared the host nations.

They saw our passion, our numbers, our unity, and suddenly they are nervous about bringing Ugandan fans into their stadiums. That’s not public health. That is fear of Africa showing up too strong. It is unfair.

You cannot take millions of applicants’ visa money, then turn around and sing a dull song of Ebola to justify locking us out. That is not safety. That’s a scam dressed up as caution, designed to deprive Africa of its rightful place in the stands.

To Fifa and Caf, this shows your choice of these high-end countries to host this tournament was a mistake. You have proven yourselves powerless against the scam press and international media. You have chosen to conform to the colonial narrative of instilling fear in the world, which continues to suffocate the spirit of the World Cup.

The World Cup was supposed to unite us. Instead, you have let fear and old narratives decide who gets to walk through the gates. Personally, I have travelled and watched the Euros finals twice and all Fifa World Cups since 2010.

If the authorities are genuinely concerned about health, why not take inspiration from the Russia 2018 World Cup? There, we had real-time equipment that could determine movements.

In the case of a contagious pandemic, they could detect it right at Entebbe airport and all exit airports. This is what the situation requires. Screen us, test us, clear us. Don’t deny Africa a lifetime event based on headlines and fear.

With all the billions of dollars Fifa controls, if you are not part of this scam, prove it to the world. Put Ebola testing equipment at every exit airport. Show us you care about fairness, not just profit. Wake up, Africa. Wake up, CAF.

This is bigger than football. It is about respect. It concerns Africa’s ability to demonstrate its presence when the world unites. If we stay silent, they will do it again. We need to protest. We need Caf to stand up and demand answers.

We need African governments to push back against blanket denials that punish entire nations for a threat that isn’t even here. Our fans deserve the same chance to cheer, cry, and celebrate in the stadium as any other continent.

The World Cup belongs to the world. It does not belong solely to the countries hosting it. It is not limited to those who can afford to be perceived as “safe” enough. Africa, we have been patient too long. If they won’t open the doors, we make noise until they do.

The author is President Emeritus SC Villa and Nyamityobora FC.

The post Fifa, Caf ought not to lock Africa out of World Cup appeared first on The Observer.