Jocelin Ta Bi Misses Sunderland Preseason Tour Due to US Visa Issues

Jocelin Ta Bi, former Hapoel Petah Tikva player, transferred to Sunderland in January 2026 in one of the most surprising moves in the Israeli Premier League in recent years. Shortly after joining, he suffered a minor injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Although he was included in Sunderland's squad for the final four matches, he did not play. Ta Bi has since regained fitness and appeared in Sunderland's first preseason match, playing 46 minutes against York City.

However, when Sunderland traveled to the United States for their preseason training camp, Ta Bi was unable to join the team due to visa issues. Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris confirmed that Ta Bi's US visa application was rejected last week. Despite the club's appeal, they do not expect the decision to be overturned. Sunderland recently secured a 1-0 preseason win over Wrexham in the US, following earlier preseason victories against Liverpool and Leeds.

Ta Bi now hopes to have a stable season and establish himself in the Premier League after overcoming his initial injury setback and the current visa complications.