ABUJA – The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday in Abuja dismissed as inconsequential concerns by the Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) over the Ebola virus in Nigeria.
FERWAFA had written to the Confederation of African football (CAF) expressing concerns over the virus and requesting to have their game against Nigeria taken to another country.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to host their Rwandese counterparts on Sept. 6 in Calabar.
The match is their first game of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
But FERWAFA had now written to CAF to plead that they do not want to travel to Nigeria out of fear of contacting Ebola.
However, Musa Amadu, the NFF Secretary-General, told NAN in a telephone interview that the FERWAFA’s plea was baseless.
He said CAF had already informed that only matches in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone would be moved.
“CAF will maintain the fixtures of all its matches over the African continent with the exception of three countries.[eap_ad_2]
“The countries are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra-Leone, because they have recorded a large number of Ebola Virus Disease cases,’’ Amadu said.
He said Rwanda’s case was an indication that some countries had already started looking for shortcuts to victory, while blaming their ambition on the Ebola virus.
The NFF secretary-general said preparation was already in top gear to ensure Nigeria picked the maximum points in Calabar on Sept. 6 when the match would be played.
NAN reports that there have been four confirmed Ebola-related deaths in Nigeria after the death of Liberian citizen Patrick Sawyerr in Lagos in July.
Meanwhile, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have recorded a combined death figure of 1,013 persons from the Ebola virus.(NAN)[eap_ad_3]