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A-League Western Sydney Fans Traveling To Saudi Arabia To Face Obstacles

A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers are "going to great lengths to ensure their supporters can travel to Saudi Arabia for the final of the Asian Champions League but there is no guarantee female and Jewish supporters will be granted entry visas," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The Wanderers face Al-Hilal in Riyadh on Nov. 1 in the second leg of the continental decider but a "section of their supporters may be denied a chance to witness a potential Asian title due to their gender, race or religious background." The club is in the process of arranging travel packages with the support of Al-Hilal and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation but it will "not be known until the end of the week whether unaccompanied females and Jewish supporters will be able to travel due to the strict laws of the nation." The club has received more than 200 inquiries for away tickets and is finalizing the travel package with the "blessing of relevant authorities." Due to "conservative legislation, women face difficulties in obtaining tourist visas for Saudi Arabia while those of Jewish heritage, Israelis or even those who have visited Israel, are not permitted entry." While AFC regulations state a club's fans "must be allowed access without prejudice, their stature does not overrule state legislation." A Wanderers spokesperson said, "There needs to be an invitation. We are working with the FFA [Football Federation of Australia], AFC [Asian Football Confederation], the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and Al-Hilal to obtain an invitation for our supporters to travel." Single women must be in the "company of a male relative or their husband and travel with marriage certificates to obtain a tourist visa, or must be escorted at all times as part of a supervised tourism group." The club has not yet received "any advice for homosexual Wanderers supporters wishing to travel to the second leg," but the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading states, "Homosexual activity is illegal and penalties include the death penalty" (SMH, 10/8).

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