Although reports have emerged on new cases of Ebola Virus outbreak in DR Congo, the Nigeria Football Federation says the development will not affect the planned friendly match with the Super Eagles. The Federation's 1st Vice-President, Seyi Akinwumi in a chat with News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos said necessary precautionary measures had been put in place to forestall transmission of the deadly disease into Nigeria.
“We will not jeopardise the health of Nigerians, we have notified the DR Congo Football Federation, while both presidents have met at the CAF committee and finalised issues. Beyond that, we have written to the Ministry of Health to have all those coming to Nigeria tested. However, most of the DR Congo players for the match are foreign-based.
To assure Nigerians, we will not risk anything for the match, there should be no fear at all. We are 100 per cent sure that everyone coming for the match will be subjected to test in Congo before coming and Nigeria before they go out. We are told that the news of Ebola outbreak in DR Congo happened in the remote village and not in the whole country, but we are also cautious about the health of Nigerians.
We want the best for the national team in terms of preparation and prosecution of the World Cup proper. The fundraising we are planning for the team is a bonus too,’’
Ahead of the 2018 World Cup billed to be held in Russia, the Federation had lined up some friendly matches as a build-up to the Super Eagles participation in the tournament. The Super Eagles are expected to play DR Congo on May 28, in Port Harcourt before the warm-up game against the Three Lions of England on June 2 at Wembley Stadium.
Before the DR Congo match, the three-time African champions had defeated the national team of Argentina 4-2 in the battle of Krasnodar, Russia, then beat Poland 1-0 at the Municipal Stadium, Wrockaw, Poland.
The third friendly match for the Eagles against the Diables Rouges (Red Devils) of Congo has been a speculation for cancellation due to the deadly Ebola disease outbreak in the country.
