Monrovia – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has dropped a request from the Liberia Football Association (LFA) to move their Sunday’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away match from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Report by Christopher C. Walker 00231777898224 / 00231886723075 [email protected]
The Group G fixture is scheduled for Kinshasa’s Stade des Martyrs but Liberia on March 10, 2019 wrote CAF requesting a change of the match venue from DR Congo because of concerns over the Ebola epidemic in DRC.
But CAF says it is monitoring the situation and that Kinshasa is safe to host the match as planned.
In November 2018, the United Nations’ global health body— World Health Organization (WHO) — said the Ebola outbreak in the east of the DR was the second biggest ever recorded.
Latest figures (as of 12 March) from the WHO say there have been 927 cases and 584 deaths.
But CAF’s director of competitions, Samson Adamu, informed the LFA that they have been monitoring the situation from WHO and also Fecofa, the governing body of football in DR Congo.
“CAF is in contact with WHO and is following the situation closely to ensure the organization of the match in the best conditions.”
CAF had contacted WHO on Liberia’s request for a change of venue following the Ebola outbreak.
“From Kinshasa to North Kivu/Ituri where the Ebola epidemic is, you will need to take two flights because of the distance. For WHO, there is no restriction to play the match in Kinshasa,” said Dr. Socé Fall, WHO’s Regional Emergencies Director, in a March 17 email to Adamu, which was shared with Liberia.
Meanwhile, LFA Secretary-General Isaac Montgomery has accepted the decision from the parent body of football in Africa and said the team is in high sprit for the match.
According to Montgomery, the Liberian delegation to Kinshasa that will comprise of 10 local players, technical staff members, officials of the Liberia Football Association and representative or representatives of the Liberian government is expected to leave on Tuesday at 8 a.m. local time
“They will be joined by the overseas-based players ahead of the match on Sunday. And by his [God] grace, all will be well,” said Montgomery.
In August 2014, CAF banned Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea from hosting international matches because of fears of spreading of Ebola- eventually clearing the countries to restage matches in May 2015, December 2015 and January 2016, respectively.
According to WHO, the most widespread Ebola outbreak in history began in Guinea in 2013 and killed over 11,000 people – mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Any two of Group G’s four teams, which also includes Zimbabwe and Congo Brazzaville, can still qualify for this year’s finals in Egypt.
| Group G after five matches: | |
| Zimbabwe | 8 points |
| Liberia | 7 points |
| DR Congo | 6 points |
| Congo | 5 point |
