Liberia has called off their scheduled football friendly match against Major League Soccer's Minnesota United due to the denial of US visas for several team members.
The Ministry of Sports in Liberia announced the cancellation in a statement shared on its Facebook page on Wednesday. The statement indicated that “the members of the Liberian national team and the official delegation were unable to obtain United States visas, which prevented them from assembling the necessary delegation and meeting the contractual commitments within the designated time frame.”
The cancellation occurs in the context of the strict visa policies implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration and comes only days before the conclusion of a World Cup where numerous fans were barred from entering the United States. Minnesota United announced that the match, which was initially set for July 26, has been canceled but did not provide a specific reason.
The club stated, "Although we were eager to host the Liberia National Team and honor the close relationship between Minnesota's Liberian community and our organization, unforeseen circumstances beyond our control have forced us to cancel the match."