ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AFP)—Ivory Coast and Senegal home-based fans have been denied visas to the United States, dashing their hopes of following their teams at the World Cup.

The president of the Ivory Coast national supporters’ committee and an official from the Senegalese sports ministry told AFP that their supporters would be devastated.

“The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Ivory Coast, on its soil. The United States has been clear with us, saying they do not want to see our supporters,” said Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of Ivory Coast’s National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE).