The Super Eagles of Nigeria are having a rethink of going ahead with their friendly
against DR Congo due to fears of contracting the Ebola virus.
The Nigeria
national team are due to host DR Congo in a friendly on May 28 in Rivers state Port
Harcourt, in the south south of Nigeria, ahead of next month’s World Cup.
A new outbreak of the Ebola disease has been confirmed in DR Congo, the
ninth time the disease has been recorded in the country since the 1970s,
and has killed 17 people.
On Wednesday, Nigeria’s health ministry ordered measures to be implemented for screening visitors from neighboring countries.
One
official at the Nigerian Football Federation said: ‘We will stop the
game on medical advice because we cannot risk any lives.
‘But
in the meantime, the visiting team will be fully screened on arrival in
the country for the game. Both CAF and FIFA have been informed of the
situation.’
Nigeria does not share a land border with DR Congo and
is the only country in west Africa with a mobile laboratory for
haemorrhagic fevers, which is funded by the European Union.
Just
seven people died of Ebola in Nigeria in 2014 out of 19 confirmed cases,
whereas the disease killed over 11,000 elsewhere in west Africa, and
the country was commended for its response to the disease.
Nigeria travel to England the week after facing DR Congo to play at Wembley on June 2 in another World Cup warm-up clash.
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