Iraq’s World Cup striker, Aymen Hussein, was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving with the squad early on Saturday, an Iraqi sporting official said.
Hussein was finally allowed in, but the team’s photographer was barred from entering the United States, said the official who works for the Iraqi Olympic Committee, but has close contacts with the team.
There was no immediate comment from the Iraqi Football Association, or from Hussein, a talismanic figure who scored the goal that secured the team’s qualification for the finals. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the reported questioning that was also covered by Iraqi media. Fans came out in the early hours of the morning to greet the Iraq squad at the airport, holding flags and asking players to pose for pictures less than a week before the start of the tournament, video on social media showed.
Hussein’s phone was inspected after he arrived, the Iraqi official said.
“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 are returning to the World Cup for the first time since making their debut 40 years ago.
Hussein, 30, leads a potent frontline that also features Ipswich Town’s Ali Al-Hamadi and talented youngsters Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn.
Iraq face France, Senegal and Norway in Group I.
The tournament being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico gets under way on Thursday.