Uganda. Rwanda. Zambia. Angola. Congo-Brazzaville.
We are neighbours to the Democratic Republic of Congo. We share borders, trade routes, cultures and families. Yet suddenly, when it is time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, our passports appear to have become a problem.
Visa denials are increasing. The explanation whispered around is Ebola.
But let us be honest: Uganda does not have an Ebola crisis that justifies treating millions of East and Central Africans as a threat to the World Cup.
Uganda has confronted Ebola before and overcome it. We have fought HIV/AIDS. We managed COVID-19. We understand public health emergencies, disease surveillance and containment. Our health systems, while not perfect, have repeatedly demonstrated resilience and experience in handling outbreaks.
So why does Africa suddenly become “unsafe” when the world’s biggest football tournament approaches?
The timing raises difficult questions. Fans are applying for visas, paying fees and preparing for what, for many, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yet across several African countries neighbouring the DRC, there is growing fear that ordinary supporters may be denied the chance to attend because of broad assumptions tied to geography rather than science.
This cannot become another moment where Africa is viewed first through panic and stereotypes instead of fairness and facts.
Football is supposed to unite the world. The FIFA World Cup belongs to all continents, all peoples and all supporters. It cannot become an event where African fans are quietly filtered out through fear-driven barriers while the language of “public safety” is used without proportionality.
If health protection is genuinely the concern, then there are practical solutions.
The Russia 2018 World Cup demonstrated how modern technology and coordinated screening systems can manage large international movements safely. Today, airports already possess advanced screening capabilities. Health declarations, rapid testing, surveillance systems and coordinated medical checks can all be deployed without collectively punishing entire populations.
Why not strengthen screening at departure and arrival points instead of creating the perception that African supporters are unwelcome?
With the enormous financial and organisational resources available to FIFA, solutions exist if the political will exists.
This issue is larger than football. It touches on dignity, equality and Africa’s place in global spaces. African fans travel, spend money, support teams passionately and contribute enormously to the global game. They deserve the same opportunity to celebrate football inside stadiums as supporters from Europe, Asia or the Americas.
CAF also cannot afford to remain passive whenever African supporters feel unfairly targeted or excluded from global sporting events. The continent’s football leadership should actively engage FIFA and host governments to ensure fairness, transparency and equal treatment for African travellers.
I have personally witnessed major football tournaments across generations — from the European Championships in Germany in 1988 and France in 2016 to FIFA World Cups since South Africa 2010. Football creates memories that stay with people forever.
That is why the possibility of African fans being shut out through fear and suspicion feels painful and deeply unfair.
Africa must not stay silent when millions of genuine supporters risk being treated as a health threat simply because of where they come from.
If precautions are necessary, let them be science-based, proportionate and fair.
Do not close the gates to Africa while calling it a global World Cup.
The world game must remain truly global.
MMJ Immanuel Ben Misagga is Emeritus President, SC Villa and Nyamityobora
