Ghana has placed its borders in the Upper East and West regions on red alert ahead of the Black Stars clash against Guinea in Tamale.
The Northern regional capital hosts the return fixture between the Black Stars and the Syli Nationale on Wednesday in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification series.
Ahead of the crucial tie, President John Mahama has ordered Ghana’s border security not to take chances. Immigration personnel have been given express instructions to screen every foreigner, especially fans from Guinea who will be travelling by road following the Ebola outbreak.
Guinea is one of the countries affected by the hemorrhagic fever that has hit West Africa, killing nearly 4,000 people recently.
According to the Sports Minister, Mahama Ayariga, the government has put the necessary measures in place to protect “our supporters from contracting the disease.” He was optimistic in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM that Ghana’s players are safe on the pitch.
“The footballers are in there playing with the Guineans. They played with them in Morocco and they will play them again tomorrow. I’m not sure there are any problems with the supporters. We don’t have a problem at all.
“We have given orders to all our border posts to be on the alert, the president directed the Upper East and Upper ministers to watch the borders very closely and we have been alerted some people might want to travel by road. It takes three days for people to travel from Guinea to Ghana. But as for the border, measures are in place,” Ayariga said.
The players were screened for Ebola upon their arrival at the Tamale Airport on Tuesday.
According to the World Health Organisation, 3685 cases have been recorded whiles 1841 deaths have been reported in the current outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
