SuperSport
Canadian authorities have declined to grant the Morocco beach soccer team visas to participate in a five nation tournament that began in Montreal on Friday.
The Canadian embassy in Rabat said some players in the team had no solid financial status in their country and could stay back in Canada after the tournament for economic reasons.
“We have been told by Ottawa, which carried out a verification process with the Canadian embassy in Rabat, that some players in the Moroccan beach soccer squad have not regular financial resources in their country of origin and that this could tempt them to abscond at the close of the competition,” organiser of the tournament Christian Prevost told Radio Canada on Friday.
Annie Samson, mayor of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, where the tournament is being hosted, has condemned the decision not to grant visas to the young African athletes.
“It does not make any sense, they are not visitors, this is a national team coming for an international tournament where there will be Brazil, Mexico, Italy and United States as well, why is Canada not saying no to these other teams. Imagine the message that goes internationally,” Samson said.
Morocco were to meet Italy on Friday in their opener.
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