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29.10.2014 Feature Article

Attention! Ebola Will Ride AFCON 2015 into a Global Pandemic!

Attention! Ebola Will Ride AFCON 2015 into a Global Pandemic!
29.10.2014 LISTEN

Ebola, the devastating virus continues to ravage 3 West African countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, dropping corpses left and right onto dusty streets like insignificant insects, to be gathered into leak-proof plastic bags and dumped in early graves.

Meanwhile, from plush offices located in 6th of October City, near Cairo, Issa Hayatou, the President of CAF (Confederation of African Football) appears to be saying 'Ebola be damned, the show must go on.' Although the preceding is not a direct quote, CAF thus far wants to stick to its time table for AFCON 2015, originally scheduled from January 17 to February 8, 2015, mindless of the Ebola outbreak.

AFCON, for those who don't know, is the acronym for African Cup of Nations, the premier football (soccer) competition organized for 54 member nations. Football is the runaway favorite of all events on African soil, it draws huge crowds. If AFCON 2015 is played as scheduled, fans will converge on the host nation from far and wide. Unfortunately, a number of those fans will carry Ebola virus along with them.

Ebola is not as highly contagious as it is commonly perceived to be. However, it is a merciless killer, demanding absolute separation between bodily fluid of the (sick) symptomatic and the body of the unafflicted. Even the slightest contact guarantees sickness and potential death. Societies wishing to keep Ebola out must be on high alert, ready to identify, isolate and treat any symptomatic individual before his/her body fluids touch and sicken other folks.

A sports event like AFCON 2015 does not foster an environment conducive to disease prevention. On the contrary, match fever grabs people; emotions run wide and they fail to notice other things. Other things like inadequate or scarce public bathrooms and toilets. Hygiene takes a back seat as people urinate; spit, vomit and in some cases defecate in open places. Should the Ebola Virus surface in their midst, people will get exposed to body fluids of the symptomatic without realizing what was occurring.

Morocco, the country originally selected in 2010 to host AFCON 2015, is sensibly asking CAF to postpone the tournament until the world gets a better grip on the ongoing Ebola outbreak. CAF executives have thumped their noses at Morocco's suggestion. They are reportedly searching for a new host nation, few months before the competition's scheduled date. They asked South Africa to host and got an emphatic “no” from that country.

They asked Ghana to host and a 'starry eyed, green behind the ear' Minister of Youth and Sports, pounded his chest and declared "Ghana is ready to host the AFCON 2015." Ghana's president Mahama pulled back the curtain a little, telling the world that Ghana has not yet made a decision to host AFCON 2015. Ghana's president could not slam the door shut on hosting because he currently chairs (ECOWAS) Economic Community of West African States and cannot be seen as stoking Ebola fears.

Africans will lose nothing if AFCON 2015 is postponed to 2016; until recently AFCON matches used to be played in even years. In contrast, AFCON 2015 will introduce Ebola into new African countries (host nation and others); possibly into Europe and South Asia. This is because more than 80% of the players and coaches of various African National teams are either based in or come from Europe and South Asia. Ebola will hitch a ride with any of them who accidentally come in contact with symptomatic body fluids.

CAF executives meet on November 2, 2014. The World Health Organizations (WHO), the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), US president Obama, US law makers, European heads of Governments, the United Nations (UN) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) must come together, join hands and stop CAF's madness.

Written by L. Kojo Yeboah, NC, USA ([email protected])

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