Melbourne player Heritier Lumumba was detained in Congo and returned to training at the club four days later than expected.
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Congo officials stopped the Demons' defender at the airport on arrival due to a misunderstanding with his visa, Channel Seven reported on Wednesday.
Lumumba's father is Congolese and his mother Brazilian and it was reported he had travelled to Africa to attend a wedding.
The footballer was forced to fly to Kenya and spend a few days there before returning for the wedding.
Melbourne were understanding about the mix-up and it seems unlikely Lumumba will face any punishments for his late return.
Australian consulate officials helped Lumumba through the process.
Lumumba had surgery on both ankles in the off-season, but Melbourne staff reported recently that he was back running laps, a positive sign for Dees fans hoping their team will on their 2015 season, when they finished in 13th place.
