Visa hitches delay Lionesses’ trip to Cameroon

National women’s basketball team, Kenya Lionesses, who were set to jet out early Wednesday 15 September morning for Yaounde, Cameroon where they are set to take part in the 2021 Women’s Afrobasket Championship will no travel a day later.

Lionesses' moment of reckoning

A source privy to the details of the team’s travel confirmed to Mozzart Sport that the women, set to face hosts Cameroon and Cape Verde in pool A of the Afrobasket due on 17 to 26 September. 

“The team was using the letter from the federation as proof they would get their visas on arrival in Cameroon which was a prior agreement but on arrival for departure, they were informed they needed a letter from the embassy collaborating the federation’s communication. That has since been sorted and the team leaves on Thursday morning,” said the source. 

Lionesses will have two days to undergo the Covid-19 protocols and rest up before facing hosts Cameroon on 18 September and play Cape Verde a day later as the George Mayienga-coached side hope to finish top of the group and avoid a qualifier to the quarter-final that will involve the second and third-place finishers. 

Meanwhile, FIBA Africa will allow fans into the arena with ticket sales already on "FIBA in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education inform the public that spectators will be allowed to attend at the tournament at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports in Yaounde from September 18-26, 2021,"

"Covid-19 protocols must be strictly adhered to by spectators protecting themselves and by extension protecting others. Access inside the Arena is subject to wearing a mask, temperature control and presentation of a negative test for COVID-19 dating less than 48 hours or a full vaccination certificate,” FIBA Africa reports.