Ebola-Free Guinea Cleared For International Soccer Matches

The African soccer confederation says it has ended a ban on Guinea hosting international matches after the country was declared free of Ebola.

Health concerns forced Guinea to play its first home qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup in Morocco.

CAF wrote to Guinea’s soccer federation on Monday lifting a ban which was imposed in August 2014 and applied to national and club teams. CAF says it acted after the World Health Organization confirmed last week that Guinea was clear of the Ebola virus.

Last November, Guinea beat Namibia 2-0 in Casablanca to advance 3-0 on aggregate to the final group stage in African qualifying.

Guinea resumes qualifying in October in one of five four-team groups which are scheduled to be drawn in June.

A letter signed by the General Secretary of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF), Hicham El Amrani addressed to the president of the Guinean Football Federation, Salifou Camara, on Monday 4 January 2016, informed him of the lifting of the ban that prevented the member association from hosting international matches on its territory due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

“CAF has learned with joy and relief the announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 29 December 2015, officially confirming that Guinea is now declared Ebola free.

CAF thereby confirms lifting the ban on the organization of continental matches in Guinea, and for all competitions organized by CAF,” the letter said.

The ban had been in effect since August 2014.

Ebola-Free Guinea Cleared For International Soccer Matches

Ashgold set for International Friendly in Sierra Leone.

Reigning FCPPL champions Ashgold has been invited to feature in an international Friendly with the Leone Stars on Saturday January 2, 2016.

The friendly is aimed climaxing the end of deadly ebola in the West African Country and has been dubbed “Kick Out Ebola”.

THis was after Sierra Leone gallantly fought the zoonotic disease and has been declared Ebola free now by the World Health Organisation.

The miners are billed to leave the country on Friday via a chartered flight and return on Sunday.

The four time Ghanaian domestic league champions sealed a place in the 2016 CAF Champions league and will be using this as a platform to test the readiness of the side ahead of the preliminary round of fixtures in February.

Bashiru Hayford charges has been pitched against Algerian side OM Bejaia in the opening round of matches in the continent’s elite club competition.

Communications Director of the reigning champions confirmed the trip to www.sportscrusader.com ahead of the Friday departure.

“We have been officially invited to honour a friendly match with the national side of Sierra Leone on Saturday. The scheduled match is to commemorate the declaration of Sierra Leone as an ebola free country after a long battle.

“We are however still working on the flight documentation and will have to wait for their final decision later in the week. We are still putting finishing touches to the trip”. Kofi Yawson told sports crusader.

The Obuasi based side stormed their way to the 2014/15 FCPPL after a brilliant start to the season. Bashiru Hayford side beefed up the side with seven new arrivals ahead of an expected packed and hopeful 2016.

Ashgold set for International Friendly in Sierra Leone.

Guinea To Be Declared Free Of Ebola Virus

Guinea is to be declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO), two years after the epidemic began there.

 

Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks.

 

The disease killed more than 2,500 people in the country and a further 9,000 in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

 

Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola in November, but new cases have emerged in Liberia, which had been declared Ebola-free in September.

 

 

A country is considered free of human-to-human transmission once two 21-day incubation periods have passed since the last known case tested negative for a second time.

 

The disease has had an enormous social and economic impact on Guinea, the BBC’s Ibrahima Diane in Conakry says.

 

According to the UN, 6,220 Guinean children have lost one or both parents to Ebola.

More than 100 health workers also lost their lives in the fight against the disease.

 

Meanwhile, survivors are still living in fear of the stigma and long-term side effects associated with the virus, our correspondent adds.

 

The fight against Ebola was particularly difficult in Guinea, he says.

 

Some communities initially did not believe there was an epidemic, while others blamed it on Western countries and the Guinean authorities.

 

The government has blamed the virus for poor economic performance and says it has also caused people to distrust the country’s health services.

 

 

President Alpha Conde has doubled the health budget since winning re-election in November.

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BBC

Guinea To Be Declared Free Of Ebola Virus