The U.S. has denied entry to several members of Senegal’s women’s national basketball team, prompting Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to cancel the team’s planned training camp in the country.
The announcement was made Thursday via the prime minister’s official Facebook page, where he confirmed that visas were refused for a number of players expected to participate in a 10-day training session ahead of the 2025 Afrobasket tournament in Ivory Coast this July.
As a result, Sonko directed Senegal’s Minister of Sports to cancel the team’s U.S. training plans altogether.
According to Babacar Ndiaye, head of the Senegalese Basketball Federation, only athletes with previously issued U.S. visas were granted entry—while new visa applications were rejected across the board.
This development unfolds as the U.S. continues to implement tighter immigration controls. Senegal is also reportedly among 36 countries under consideration for future travel restrictions, as outlined in an internal memo from the current U.S. administration.
The State Department declined to address individual visa cases, and the U.S. Embassy in Dakar has not issued a public response.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Sonko expressed disappointment but also extended gratitude to China, acknowledging the country’s support in offering dozens of training scholarships for Senegalese athletes and their coaches.
Senegal’s women’s basketball team, affectionately known as Les Lionnes, will now explore alternative preparation strategies as they gear up for one of Africa’s premier basketball tournaments later this year.
