With Senegal World Cup fans barred, Seattle's diaspora cheers team on
When the Senegal national team steps onto the Seattle Stadium pitch Wednesday, a small but devoted crowd from the local diaspora will be cheering them on with all the green, yellow and red flair they can spare.
Just over 1,100 people in the Seattle metro area identify as Senegalese, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
But with U.S. travel restrictions barring fans from Senegal from entering the country, the local community say they will loudly and proudly turn out in their stead to support the Lions of Teranga - a team nickname evoking the strength of the king of the savanna and the spirit of generosity associated with the Wolof word "teraanga."
"As soon as I heard that Senegal was going to be playing in Seattle, it was a no-brainer. I had to be there," said Cheikh Yirim Seck, a performing artist who lives in the Central District.
Seck, who is Senegalese American, bought tickets Sunday for about $700 a piece for him and his daughter. His brother's and sister's families also traveled to the city to attend the faceoff against Belgium.
"You got to show up and represent your country and your culture," he said. "We're proud of our music, culture, heritage, language, everything."
"It doesn't take much to galvanize the Senegalese community," he said.
This year marks the fourth World Cup appearance for the Senegal national team, which is now seen as "one of the more favorable underdogs," Seck said. The team initially won the Africa Cup of Nations final earlier this year against Morocco, though the results were later reversed in a controversial decision by the tournament's appeals board.
Plenty of members of the Senegalese diaspora within the U.S. have made their way to the region. A crowd of fans greeted the team at their hotel in Seattle on Monday with chanting and music. For those who can't make it to the stadium, Taste of Jollof, a Senegambian restaurant in Des Moines, is hosting a watch party, complete with traditional West African food and drink.
But supporters hailing from Senegal by and large won't be in Seattle on Wednesday. As part of sweeping changes to the country's immigration system, President Donald Trump imposed travel bans on a number of countries in December, including Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti. Under the new restriction, the U.S. stopped issuing tourist visas to Senegal nationals.
While the travel bans included exemptions for athletes, staff and immediate family members of players, fans had no recourse. That left some on the Senegal national team frustrated.
"I don't want to speak about politics," Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly told The Athletic last month, "but for me the most important (thing) is that we have to play for our people."
The exclusion is disappointing for some fans in Senegal, where people live and breathe soccer, said Mamadou Diakhate, another Seattle resident and longtime Columbia City small-business owner. Diakhate himself grew up playing soccer in Senegal before moving to the U.S., and later played with the Greater Seattle Soccer League for years. Soccer, "it's a part of me," Diakhate said.
"Everybody in Senegal is a coach," joked Diakhate, whose son recently snagged him a ticket to Wednesday's match. Diakhate said he plans to link up with several Senegalese friends during the day's celebrations.
He noted that ticket and travel costs would've always made it difficult for many Senegal fans to attend the World Cup in the U.S. But the Trump administration's actions have sullied some of the magic of the tournament.
"If the government was a little bit tolerant about it and allowed people to come and watch the World Cup and leave safely, I think we'd probably (be) going to see the greatest World Cup organized ever," Diakhate said.
Nevertheless, Diakhate is ecstatic to attend the match and root for Senegal. Anything can happen, he said.
This Senegalese team can beat any team in this World Cup," he said. "I have no doubt about that."
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