By Mekonnen Almaw
The resurgence of the Ebola virus in Central and East Africa has sparked global alarm and posed a significant threat, particularly within the African continent.
The impact of this outbreak on various sectors is becoming increasingly evident in our country. Just last night, news emerged that the friendly match scheduled for the Walias (the Ethiopian National Team) in the United States has been canceled due to this epidemic.
It is well-known that for the past two years, the Ethiopian national team has traveled to the United States to play friendly matches against D.C. United. Following an agreement between the Ethiopian Football Federation and D.C. United, the team was scheduled to travel to the U.S. in early July for this year's installment of the matches.
However, D.C. United announced that the friendly match, which was planned for July 4th, has been canceled. The club cited the risks associated with the resurging Ebola virus in East Africa and the increasing difficulties in obtaining visas as the reasons for the cancellation.
While the match was canceled, the reason for the cancellation has raised serious concerns.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health officially stated as recently as May 17, 2018 (E.C.), that no suspected or confirmed cases of the Ebola virus have been found in Ethiopia.
Although D.C. United’s website attributed the cancellation to "visa processing difficulties," they also explicitly mentioned the Ebola virus as a contributing factor.
Visa challenges are a long-standing and expected hurdle affecting the entire sporting sector. However, linking the cancellation to Ebola—a disease not currently present in Ethiopia—is both controversial and alarming.
Nevertheless, such decisions have been reported frequently across the continent recently.
This epidemic is a global concern, but it has become particularly frightening for Africa. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced a few days ago that, in addition to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, 10 other African countries are at risk of an Ebola virus outbreak.
Ethiopia is included in this list.
Citing the head of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya are among the 10 additional countries at risk of the Ebola outbreak.
Be that as it may, it is clear that this rapidly spreading Ebola epidemic is looming over the continent, casting a shadow over neighboring countries and potentially reaching Ethiopia.
This situation poses a major challenge and threat to sports, especially football. Its implications are growing increasingly concerning, not only for African football but also for the World Cup, which is set to begin in just six days.
