World Relays 2026: Ibrahim Fuseini details how he missed flight to Botswana

Ibrahim Fuseini has opened up on his absence from the World Athletics Relays in Botswana, citing travel complications that prevented him from joining the team. Fuseini, who was expected to be part of Ghana's men's 4x100m relay squad, revealed he missed his initial flight after arriving late at the airport. He said, "For the first ticket I received on April 28, I got to the airport late and missed check-in by about six minutes, so they didn't allow me to check in and I missed that flight."

A second ticket was arranged with Gaborone as the final destination. However, airline officials refused to issue his boarding pass, insisting he needed a visa despite holding a Ghanaian passport. Fuseini explained, "When I went to the airport for the second ticket, the airline refused to issue my boarding pass, saying I needed a visa before I could travel. I explained that Gaborone is my final destination and, as a Ghanaian passport holder, I shouldn't need a visa for Botswana." He provided supporting documents, including his U.S. student visa and I-20 form. Fuseini said, "Even after that discussion, the airline still refused to let me travel and insisted that I needed a visa before they could check me in."

Fuseini summarized the situation as a combination of narrowly missing his first flight and being denied boarding for the second due to the visa dispute. He said, "The situation is, I missed the check-in by a few minutes for the first ticket. For the second ticket, I was denied boarding due to visa requirements. Ghana Athletics and LOC intervened, but the airline still refused. That's exactly what happened from my side." Members of the relay team, including Abdul Rasheed Saminu and Benjamin Azamati, have criticized the sports ministry over what they describe as poor travel