IT WOULD have been an “I was there” moment watching Liverpool taking on Real Madrid live in last night’s epic Champions League final.
But die-hard football fan Derek Naidoo’s cup did not run over with joy because stubborn Ukrainian embassy officials refused to process his travel visa application quickly enough for him to attend the match, which was played at Kiev’s Olimpiyskiy Stadium.
The net result for Naidoo, 58, was instead of enjoying swigs of horilka, the traditional beverage, he caught the action at a clubhouse in Asherville, Durban.
“I would have loved to have been at the game. Liverpool is a club I have supported from my boyhood.
“In 2005, I was unable to travel to Turkey, the last time Liverpool won. I really wanted to do so on this occasion” said Naidoo, who lives on the Bluff.
Naidoo, a former professional goalkeeper with Amazulu FC and Manning Rangers, had a good feeling his team would make the final after going into the second leg of their semi-final with a 5-1 advantage over Roma.
He made a provisional booking for tickets and a Durban travel agency arranged his travel and visa on May 2.
Naidoo knew visas to Ukraine took a minimum of 15 days to process, but despite his quick thinking, he still couldn’t board the flight.
In Rome last month, Liverpool lost 4-2 in the second leg to AS Roma, but advanced 7-5 on aggregate.
But dribbling past the bureaucracy of pedantic officials at Ukraine’s Pretoria-based embassy proved too much for the agency working on Naidoo’s behalf.
The agent who was securing a visa was told the “High Commissioner” who signed off on visas was unavailable that week.
Even when the agent suggested her client was prepared to pay extra charges to have his application fast tracked, the response was that such requests were not entertained.
With time against him, Naidoo’s agent made another attempt for a visa in the new week (beginning May 8), but was again told the High Commissioner was not available.
“Surely, they should have had someone else on hand to certify visas, especially when their country is hosting a major football final.
“They should have realised the interest beforehand,” said the disappointed Naidoo.
But he was not the only local football fan who encountered a hassle acquiring a Ukraine visa.
Last week, a national weekend newspaper reported how other travel agencies and football fans endured similar frustrations regarding the availability and attitude of officials processing visas.
One agency had apparently 40 clients lined up for the Kiev game but were only able secure visas for two fans, it was reported. However, Ukraine’s acting ambassador, Liubov Abravitova, in Pretoria denied they had dropped the ball when processing visas for football fans.
She said the embassy’s operations were in line with international standards and went the proverbial extra mile to accommodate football fans.
“On the eve of the European Champions League the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine provided all consular offices with instructions to open as many ‘slots’ as possible in order to provide visas to all the football fans,” said Abravitova.
She said in order to accommodate the demands of football fans, they extended their business hours, processed visas manually by e-mail as well as accepting the visa applications from those applicants, who visited the consular section of the embassy without an appointment.
“The embassy issued 240 visas to the football fans for this particular event. Most of them were granted visas at least one week before their proposed departure to Ukraine,
“We can assure you that everyone who wants to travel to our country will be helped and will get any possible assistance.
“We look forward to hosting South African citizens in Ukraine’s capital,” she said.