The Grenada National men’s football team prior to Thursday’s match (last night) against host nation El Salvador experienced disruption and challenges.
President of the Grenada Football Association (GFA), Cheney Joseph, reported that the El Salvador immigration authorities initially denied entry to eight of Grenada’s overseas-based players.
According to Joseph, the professional footballers who travelled from England where they play in various competitions were held up at the airport for long hours because they were not cleared by immigration officials.
Joseph said the incident prompted urgent communication to FIFA, CONCACAF and the President of the El Salvador Football Federation and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Sports in Grenada which eventually brought about an amicable conclusion that allowed the overseas based-players to join the other members of the National team who arrived in El Salvador earlier.
The GFA President said the action by the authorities in El Salvador had put the Grenada team at a great disadvantage.
Following last night’s match, Grenada will return home over the weekend to play US Virgin Islands in their second CONCACAF 2022 World Cup Qualifying fixture at the National Stadium next Wednesday.
No spectators will be allowed into the stadium because of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the match will be broadcast live.
Grenada is grouped with El Salvador, Monserrat, Antigua and Barbuda and US Virgin Islands. The winner of the group will advance to the second phase of world cup qualifying matches later this year.
