The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that all players, officials and fans who arrive in Equatorial Guinea for the African Cup of Nations tournament will be checked for Ebola.
In a statement on Wednesday, CAF stated that “All the delegations are landing in Malabo for health checks.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”DfRSCWGiVRjCZU0xxlX1vslBciUrvIRp”]According to the African football’s governing body, members of the delegation from Cape Verde who were the first country to arrive in Equatorial Guinea for the tournament on Tuesday, were tested for the disease, and other participating teams will be taken through the same process when they arrive.
“It was the case for Cape Verde yesterday and DR Congo today. And it will be the case for all the teams,” the statement said.
Equatorial Guinea took over as hosts of the tournament after the original hosts, Morocco pulled out because of concerns over Ebola.
The Moroccans had asked CAF to consider postponing the tournament, a suggestion which was rejected by the body.
Ebola has claimed the lives of over 8,000 people in Africa’s most affected countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, who have qualified for the tournament.
The 2015 AFCON kicks-off on Saturday, January 17 and runs until the final match on February 8.
By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EdKwakofi