FIFA and CAF, You’ve Handed the World Cup to Fear

Uganda. Rwanda. Zambia. Angola. Congo-Brazzaville.

These are not distant nations from the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are neighbors. We share borders, trade routes, cultures, and families. Yet suddenly, when the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, our passports have become suspicious documents.

Visa denials are rising. Applications face unusual scrutiny. The explanation being quietly pushed is Ebola.

But let us be honest: Uganda is not experiencing an Ebola crisis that justifies locking millions of Africans out of the world’s biggest football tournament.

Uganda has faced Ebola before — and defeated it. Under President Yoweri Museveni’s leadership, the country has confronted Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19 with resilience and discipline. We understand disease containment. We understand public health management. We know how to protect both citizens and visitors.

So why is fear suddenly being amplified now, precisely when African fans are applying for visas, paying fees, and preparing to travel?

The timing raises difficult questions.

Across East and Central Africa, ordinary football supporters increasingly feel targeted by a narrative that paints neighboring countries as dangerous merely because of geography. Nations that coexist beside the DRC every day are suddenly portrayed as too risky to enter North America for a football tournament.

Many Africans are beginning to ask whether this is really about health — or whether it reflects deeper fears about Africa’s growing visibility, energy, and presence on the global stage.

Ugandan football passion has become impossible to ignore. From club football to international tournaments, African fans continue to bring unmatched color, unity, and atmosphere to the game. Yet instead of celebrating that spirit, barriers are quietly rising.

This feels unfair.

You cannot collect millions of dollars in visa application fees from hopeful supporters and then use fear-based narratives to justify keeping them out. That is not fairness. It risks appearing like a system designed to profit from African applicants while denying them equal participation in a global event that is supposed to unite humanity.

FIFA and CAF must recognize the damage this perception is causing.

The choice of wealthy Western nations to host football’s greatest event should never result in the exclusion of ordinary fans from Africa. Yet many supporters increasingly believe international media panic and political pressure are shaping access to the tournament more than fairness or football itself.

The World Cup was created to unite the world, not divide it along lines of fear and suspicion.

I personally witnessed European football history during the 1988 European Championship in Germany and again at Euro 2016 in France. I have followed FIFA World Cup finals since South Africa hosted the tournament in 2010 — a proud moment that proved Africa could successfully welcome the world.

Today, however, many African fans feel as though a rope is slowly tightening around their necks, preventing them from participating in football’s greatest celebration.

If health security is truly the concern, then practical solutions already exist.

During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, modern screening systems and coordinated security measures demonstrated how large-scale international events can safely manage health and border concerns. The same approach can be applied today. Advanced real-time screening and Ebola detection systems can be installed at Entebbe International Airport and other African departure points.

Screen passengers. Test where necessary. Clear legitimate travelers.

Do not punish entire populations based on headlines and fear.

FIFA controls billions of dollars in global football revenue. If the organization genuinely believes in equality and inclusion, then it should invest in practical health measures that guarantee fair access for all supporters, including Africans.

Otherwise, many will continue to believe that Africa is being unfairly blamed and isolated while wealthier nations protect themselves behind exaggerated narratives.

CAF must not remain silent.

African governments must demand transparency regarding visa restrictions and blanket denials affecting their citizens. Football supporters from Africa deserve the same opportunity to travel, celebrate, cry, and cheer inside World Cup stadiums as fans from Europe, Asia, or the Americas.

This issue is larger than football.

It is about dignity. Respect. Equality. And whether Africa is truly welcome when the world gathers on its biggest stage.

If African voices remain silent today, the same pattern will repeat tomorrow — another tournament, another excuse, another generation of African fans excluded from global events.

The World Cup belongs to the world.

Not only to the host nations. Not only to those considered politically convenient or “safe enough.”

Africa has waited patiently for respect.

If the doors are closing, then Africa must speak loudly enough for the world to hear.

By MMJ Immanuel Ben Misagga
Emeritus President, SC Villa and Nyamityobora FC