Football
ESPN staff 10y

Sierra Leone barred from travelling

The Sierra Leone national team have been banned from travelling to the Seychelles for an African Cup of Nations qualifier because of fears over the deadly Ebola virus, forcing the hosts to forfeit.

Sierra Leone players and officials were barred from boarding a plane Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, that would have taken them to the Seychelles capital of Victoria for Saturday's game.

The BBC reported that Seychelles immigration authorities decided not to allow the Sierra Leone party to travel to the Indian Ocean island because of Ebola. The virus has killed more than 700 people in the West African countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria.

The BBC also said Seychelles forfeited Saturday's game and a place in next year's African Cup as a result. The Seychelles Football Federation could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sierra Leone, who held a 2-0 advantage after the first leg in Freetown on July 19, advance to the group stage, where they will face Ivory Coast, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

^ Back to Top ^