Sierra Leone’s national team, Leone Stars might secure three points against the Elephant’s of Ivory Coast without kicking a ball after the Ivorian government suspended all sporting activities in the country until further notice.
The decision which was announced by the Ivorian Sports Minister Alain Lobognon was the latest measure by the Ivoirians to avoid the spread of Ebola into their country.
The Elephant of Ivory Coast are expect to host the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone on September 4th in their opening Group D fixtures of the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers and the decision by the Ivorian government is on the verge of affecting the said match as it appears very unlikely the match will be played at all.
The Sport and Health Ministers and the football federation met on Wednesday to discuss the issue. There have been no reported cases of Ebola in Ivory Coast, from the outbreak which started in neighboring Guinea and subsequently spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
The decision which was announced by the Ivorian Sports Minister Alain Lobognon was the latest measure by the Ivoirians to avoid the spread of Ebola into their country.
The Elephant of Ivory Coast are expect to host the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone on September 4th in their opening Group D fixtures of the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers and the decision by the Ivorian government is on the verge of affecting the said match as it appears very unlikely the match will be played at all.
The Sport and Health Ministers and the football federation met on Wednesday to discuss the issue. There have been no reported cases of Ebola in Ivory Coast, from the outbreak which started in neighboring Guinea and subsequently spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
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It is not clear whether Ivory Coast will still be able to play the match or if they will have to find a neutral venue or forfeit the fixture and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has indicated it will be guided by the World Health Organization’s stance over the Ebola crisis; it "does not recommend a ban on travel to and from affected countries".
The Sierra Leone Football Association’s (SLFA) Director of competition, Sorie Ibrahim Sesay said they are monitoring the situation adding that it will be on the Ivorians to determine if they decide to forfeit the match or not.
He said: “We are monitoring the situation and we are still on our preparation drive and are also trying to get a neutral venue for our home matches. If they fail to honor the match, it means Ivory Coast may face sanctions from CAF.
The Sierra Leone Football Association’s (SLFA) Director of competition, Sorie Ibrahim Sesay said they are monitoring the situation adding that it will be on the Ivorians to determine if they decide to forfeit the match or not.
He said: “We are monitoring the situation and we are still on our preparation drive and are also trying to get a neutral venue for our home matches. If they fail to honor the match, it means Ivory Coast may face sanctions from CAF.
By: Sahr Morris Jr.
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