Ebola: Nigerians Worried Over Super Eagles Vs Congo Pre-World Cup Match

Ten days from today, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will play the Diables Rouges of Congo in an international friendly ahead of the 2018 World Cup scheduled to take place in Russia on June 14th – July 15th.

The match which is one of the World Cup preparatory matches organised by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for the Coach Gernot Rohr’s men, will be played in Port Harcourt on May 28th, before traveling to face the Three Lions of England on June 2 in another World Cup warm-up clash.

At least 45 people are believed to have been infected in the current Congo outbreak and 23 have died, according to latest report from the World Health Organisation WHO.

Also, report emanating from the Democratic Republic of Congo is that the virus has spread to the city of Mbandaka which is the transport hub on the River Congo, prompting fears that the virus could now spread further, threatening the capital Kinshasa and surrounding countries.

Nigerians from all works of life have expressed worries over the recent resurgence of Ebola epidemic already ravaging the East African country, some suggesting that the match should be canceled so as to avert the likely spread of the dreaded disease into the country.

Although, the President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, in a recent interview allayed the fears of Nigerians saying adequate measure has been put in place to forestall transmission of the disease into the country.

“We are in touch with the Congolese FA and we have been reliably informed that the Ebola outbreak is in a very remote part of the country so there’s nothing to really fear. Besides, about 98% of the Congolese players are based outside the country. They’re flying into Nigeria and we have got them a chartered flight which will touch down in Port Harcourt at 6pm on the 25th of May, three days to the match. The aircraft will wait and take them back after the game. As a further precaution, we have written to the Ministry of Health to test them on arrival. We have really covered that and there’s nothing to be worried about,” the NFF boss said.

But the expected squad of Congo DR for the game will no doubt contain names of players who are based in the country, which means they could also be carriers of the deadly virus which is highly contagious.

The Nigerian Senate had on Tuesday in its resolutions urged the Minister of Health and the Minister of Interior to be pro-active in preventing an outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.

“The Senate recalls with great distress that an infected immigrant who arrived Nigeria on the 23rd of July was the index case of the Ebola virus in Nigeria. With varying symptoms ranging from fever to diarrhea, there were a total of 869 contacts and 20 laboratory confirmed cases were recorded.

“The Senate is be reminded that the tide was stemmed by quick response of the Nigerian government vid declaration of emergency, collaboration of federal and states Ministries of Health, use of incidence management approach, identification and follow up contacts.

“The Senate is saddened that in spite of quick measures taken, the epidemic claimed eight lives including those of medical personnel who put their lives at risk to contain the disease.

“The Senate is disturbed that recent reports of media outlets and the World Health Organisation show that the disease is back in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo with 19 dead and 39 casualties recorded so far.

“The Senate is further reminded that DRC is 445 kilometres by air from Abuja, is easily accessible via a flight from Lagos that takes less than three hours,” a motion by Senator Oluremi Tinubu reminding Nigerians of the 2014 situation where a carrier immigrant from Liberia transferred the disease to the country.

The Federal Lawmakers said the Minister of Interior should take necessary steps to check immigration and also urged the Minister of Health to ensure alertness to combat the disease and get the Ebola vaccine ready in case of an emergency.

On Wednesday, Nigeria’s health ministry ordered measures to be implemented for screening visitors from neighbouring countries.

Recall that Super Eagles were worried ahead of an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Congo in September 2014.

Players like Mikel John Obi reportedly wore face masks and hand gloves in camp as preventive measures against the deadly virus.

All these could justify the fears of Nigerians, as some suggested the match should be postponed indefinitely, as its importance is minimal as compared to the overwhelming turbulence Nigeria might face, if the deadly virus spreads to the country.