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An Iraqi World Cup star has been held and questioned for almost seven hours upon his arrival to the United Sates on Saturday.
Striker Aymen Hussein arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare airport with the rest of the Iraq squad on Saturday ahead of the tournament, which begins on Thursday.
But, while most of the squad were allowed into America, border agents took Hussein away for questioning.
An official who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee but has close contacts with the nation’s soccer team told Reuters that Hussein’s phone was even taken away for inspection.
After almost seven hours, Hussein was finally given the green light to enter with the rest of the Iraq squad. However, the team’s photographer was barred from entering the US.
‘National team photographer Talal Salah was held for more than 10 hours, underwent similar phone checks, and was ultimately denied entry into the United States,’ the official added.
Iraq player Aymen Hussein was questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport
The striker was eventually allowed entry into the US, but the team’s photographer was denied
The Daily Mail has contacted FIFA, as well as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
Iraq are set to compete at their first World Cup for 40 years. They have been drawn in Group I and will play games against France, Senegal and Norway.
Iraq will take on Norway in Foxborough, France in Philadelphia and Senegal in Toronto.
It comes after the Iran team were told they must enter and leave US soil on the same day of matches while ‘integral’ members of their coaching staff have been denied visas to the World Cup.
The country’s ambassador to Mexico, where the squad is staying thanks to the ongoing conflict with the US, said on Saturday that their players would have to be in and out of the US within 24 hours.
Iran – whose group matches are in Los Angeles and Seattle – were due to stay in Tucson, Arizona but will now fly in.
‘We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,’ Iran’s envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters.
US officials said visas have been issued to all players and ‘necessary support staff’ ahead of their June 16 opener.
The Iran team has been told they must enter and leave US soil on the same day of matches
Donald Trump’s administration has not yet granted visas to many of the team’s staff
They added that Iran would not be allowed to ‘abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences’.
However, Iran’s embassy in Turkey said visas had been denied to ‘a large portion of the managerial and executive staff’ and accused the Americans of ‘politically biased interference in sport’. They claimed visas had been denied to a ‘large portion of the managerial and executive staff’ and ‘technical advisers’.
Iranian state media claimed the head of the football federation and his deputy were among those denied entry.
Iran open their World Cup account against New Zealand in California on June 16, before facing Belgium and Egypt in California and Seattle, respectively.
