Flames cannot travel to Guinea—FAM
FAM has written the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) seeking clearance over the threat of the Ebola virus in Guinea where the Flames are set to travel next March for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda yesterday confirmed that he wrote CAF last month ahead of next March’s trip to Guinea for the Group L qualifiers. Other group members are Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
“CAF has not responded and we will wait for their advice as we need certification. In all affected countries such as Liberia and Sierra Leone, you need certification from CAF. It was the same case when we were travelling to Mali,” Nyirenda said.
In a telephone interview yesterday, CAF media director Junior Binyam confirmed that they are awaiting further advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“A decision has not been made to play matches in Guinea and the same is the case with other affected countries such as Sierra Leone and Liberia. A request has been made to the WHO. If we have clearance, we will communicate. If not, we will have to decide,” Binyam explained from Cairo.
The CAF official added that CAF will make its position in respect of the Guinea home matches at the last review meeting on May 26 in Switzerland on the sidelines of a Fifa meeting.
Guinea play at neutral venues and that could have a cost implication on the ever broke FAM.
The Ebola virus has infected close to 2 000 people in the three countries, causing 373 deaths in Guinea, 323 in Liberia and 315 in Sierra Leone. There is no definite cure, according to the WHO, although untested treatment methods have recently proved effective in two cases affecting Americans.
Guinea host Malawi on the weekend of March 26 with the first leg played in Blantyre a week earlier.
