An immigration incident in the US overshadowed Iraq’s preparations for FIFA World Cup after star striker Aymen Hussein was detained and questioned for nearly seven hours on arrival in Chicago.
Hussein was detained early Saturday morning as he arrived with the team at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to an Iraqi sporting official with close ties to the national team.
The striker, who helped Iraq qualify for the tournament, eventually was allowed to enter the United States with the rest of the team.
But things were not so good for the team’s photographer, Talal Salah, who was said to have been detained for over 10 hours and was not allowed to be admitted into the country.
During the screening procedure, the official said that Hussein’s and Salah’s mobile phones were checked.
The Iraqi Football Association and Hussein have not yet given any sort of comments regarding the incident.
The US Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement also have declined to comment.
The Iraqis living in US however had welcomed the team with open arms since the time of their arrival at the airport.
When the players arrived, videos on social media were posted by fans waving Iraqi flags and taking photographs with the team.
Iraq is coming to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
The team will be led by the 30-year-old Hussein, who heads a forward line, which also features Ali Al-Hamadi, a forward from Ipswich Town, and two young promising players, Ali Jassim and Youssef Amyn.
France, Senegal and Norway are in Group I with Iraq. On Thursday, the World Cup starts in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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