ABIDJAN, (PNA/Xinhua) — Cote d’Ivoire’s sports authorities on Tuesday decided to suspend the organization of any international competitions in the country until further notice, an official source said.
A statement released by the sports ministry said the decision is meant to respect measures taken by the government to prevent the entry of Ebola virus which is spreading rapidly in the West African region.
“Different sporting federations are hereby urged to suspend organization of any competitions of international nature across the entire national territory,” the statement said.
Cote d’Ivoire was set to play against Sierra Leone on Sept. 6 in a football match to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
No case of Ebola has so far been confirmed in the country but the government has heightened surveillance. Early this month, the government announced suspension of all flights coming from the countries affected by Ebola virus.
The Bola virus which appeared in Guinea early this year, has spread to other West African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The World Health Organization estimated the disease has killed over 1,200 people so far.