ACCRA
A massive public outcry has arisen in Ghana over the possibility that the country might host the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournament (known by its French acronym, CAN) if Morocco forfeits its right to host the event over fears that visiting African fans could bring the Ebola virus with them.
Ghanaian Youth and Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga announced on his Facebook page on Thursday that the CAF, African football's governing body, had officially asked Ghana to consider hosting the tournament's 2015 edition if Morocco forfeited its right to host it.
Ayariga was also quoted by local media as saying that his country was "ready" to host the continental competition.
The announcement has sent shockwaves across Ghana, which is currently hosting the U.N. Mission on Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), which serves as a command-and-control center for the anti-Ebola campaign currently underway in West Africa.
Many Ghanaians expressed concern that President John Mahama might feel obliged to stage the tournament on home soil due to his position as chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc.
"If you are ECOWAS chairman, it doesn't mean you should open your door to people just like that even if there is danger," a visibly livid Afia Boadu, an Accra resident, told Anadolu Agency.
"The Guineans came here to play their game two days ago [for a qualifier]. You opened the doors for them knowing the risks involved. You know the screening we do at the borders is not thorough," she added.
"This is not something the government should even consider. Morocco is pulling out because of the same reason," Boadu asserted. "I have a feeling that President Mahama will go for this because he is ECOWAS chairman – and this will lead to our downfall."
Afrakuma Annoh, another Ghanaian angered by the proposal, told AA that, by hosting the tournament, Ghana was "opening the door" to Ebola.
"Even if you sit in a commercial bus, you're worried. How much more do we have to host people from these [Ebola-hit] countries?" Annoh asked. "If you host it [the tournament], you give Ebola a chance. I don't think we should agree [to host the event]."
Die-hard sports fan Abena Asiedu, by contrast, is one of many Ghanaians who wants to see her country host the competition.
"Ghana is already bidding to host the tournament's 2017 edition, and we hosted it in 2008," she said. "We have opened our doors wide enough already, and yet Ebola hasn't come."
Asiedu added: "Let's pray that it doesn't come. Besides, even if we don't host the tournament, the disease can still come."
Patricia Amissah, who also believes her country would benefit from holding the tournament, made her own proposal.
"We should prevent [foreign] fans from entering [the country]. They should only allow the football players to come, play, and go back. Ghanaian fans could occupy the stands for free, just to make it lively," she said.
Many Ghanaians, meanwhile, have taken to online social media to express their opinions on the issue.
Sports journalist Umar-Farouk Atipaga tweeted: "If a country is unwilling to host the [tournament] coz [because] of Ebola, why does CAF think another [country] will take it up?"
Fui, another Ghanaian, asserted on Facebook: "There is no reason in our current state that we should even consider the [tournament's] 2017 [edition], let alone 2015."
A worried Mahmoud Jajah, for his part, wrote on his Facebook wall: "Even if Ghana is ready to host the African Cup next year, the government… should reject any call from CAF to host the event."
"No country in West Africa should even think of hosting any international public event next year, not least football," he added. "Ebola is no joke!"
Although Ghana has not recorded any cases of Ebola, many Ghanaians express fear of the deadly virus.
In recent months, Ebola – a contagious disease for which there is no known treatment or cure – has killed at least 4,484 people in West Africa, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus has also reared its head in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in other countries outside Africa.
In response, the Ghanaian government has activated a prevention plan with the aim of preempting the entry of the virus into the country, while putting the security and health services on high alert. All frontline staff have been trained to identify suspected Ebola cases.
However, Justice Yankson, deputy secretary-general of the Ghana Medical Association, told AA that the country should not rush to accept the CAF's offer.
"If things get out of hand, the problem will be all over the place and it [Ebola] might not even be limited to West Africa," Yankson warned.
"Assuming we go ahead and take the risk to host it, and these fans come in and somebody gets sick, can we manage them? Do we have enough resources for that?" he asked.
"CAF itself should have some preventive and control measures to protect Ghanaians. Our level of preparedness is not perfect, because we're still training people," Yankson added.
He voiced concern that most people in Ghana – including health professionals – may not be prepared for a potential crisis.
"Why should Morocco decide they will not host the competition? It is because they would have done their homework and think it not worth hosting," Yankson asserted.
"We need to look at things properly before taking any decision. We shouldn't take any hasty decisions at all, because we might not be able to cope with the numbers," he added.
He went on to advise the government not to "go accepting what you cannot handle."
Gary Al Smith, a sports analyst, agreed.
"Usually, Ghanaians would be angry if you took away a thoroughly enjoyable tournament like this, but the circumstances here are a bit special. Ebola is a big deal. Ghanaians can see that even the big countries of the world are grappling from Ebola," he told AA.
"Ghanaians remember the last African Cup [in 2008] we hosted here and the massive cost it brought to us. The people of Ghana have a strong case against the government bringing the tournament here," he added.
Ghana is currently bidding to host the CAN's 2017 edition. Al Smith believes hosting next year's tournament might not improve Ghana's chances for the 2017 bid.
"The government of Ghana and the Ghana Football Association can use this as a bargaining chip to make 2017 a reality, but people who like football will not like to see the same country hosting the tournament back to back," he said.
Al Smith added: "We should let this one go and wait for 2017."
On the proposal that Ghana might host the tournament while barring foreign fans from entering the country, the analyst said: "The appeal of football is that it's a game for the masses. Fans like to… watch the matches in the stadium."
"It's not possible to have it without the fans," he said.
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