August 27 – Another African Cup of Nations qualifier is in doubt because of the deadly Ebola virus after Ivory Coast’s football federation said it had been instructed by its government to cancel or move next month’s home game against Sierra Leone.
Earlier this month, the Seychelles forfeited hosting Sierra Leone rather than risk the disease spreading to the Indian Ocean island while Togo asked the Confederation of African Football to move their qualifying game in Guinea, scheduled for September 5 or 6, to an alternative location.
Over 1,400 people have so far died as a result of the deadly virus in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria. Ivory Coast Football Federation spokesman Eric Kacou said the government had advised that it would not allow the Sierra Leone team to enter the country for the September 6 game in the country’s largest city, Abidjan. “The authorities are taking no chances,” Kacou told reporters.
Sierra Leone is battling to find a country willing to allow them to host home games after CAF ruled it wouldn’t allow any matches to be played there or in Guinea until mid-September at the earliest. Guinea have already moved their Group E opener against Togo on September 6 to Casablanca in Morocco.
Other countries are also expressing concern. Congo are anxious about traveling to Nigeria, the defending champions, on September 6, and have appealed for a neutral venue. “We feel it is difficult to take our players to that region. Cameroon have closed their border with Nigeria because of the outbreak which goes to shows the severity of the situation,” said Congo coach Claude Le Roy.
The qualifiers run from September 5 to November 19 and will decide the 15 teams to play alongside host Morocco in Africa’s top football tournament early next year.
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