The intimidation of Ebola virus has passively attacked Bangladesh football as some premier league clubs are struggling to fly in players from the African continent for trial and sign up.
Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is also preparing to take necessary steps in order to ensure safety throughout the football arena from the deadly virus Ebola that broke out in West Africa. The concern mainly due to the big number of African players playing in the domestic leagues for a long time now.
At least 10 premier league clubs registered around seven foreign players each for their club last season with majority of them from African nations like Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Cameroon and Guinea.
Nigeria, however, has been officially declared free from Ebola by the World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday and became the second country from West Africa following Senegal.
Countries around the globe have taken every necessary steps in preventing the virus from entering their border as the travellers on every entry points such as airports, railways stations, bus stations are scanned thoroughly. Therefore, not only the African players, but others willing to come in Bangladesh to undergo a trial with any club are also facing multiple problems in acquiring their visa and other necessary permissions.
Feni Soccer Club are the biggest victim as their Gambian trio – Mathew Mendy, Kaba Jobe and Landing Darboe – are struggling to acquire visa from their country to return to Dhaka.
“Three of our Gambian players are stuck at their home and facing visa complications while trying to return to club due to the threats of Ebola virus,” said manager of Soccer Club Shakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan to Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
“We the club officials have been struggling to find African players to bring for our club in the last 15-20 days. We are now thinking alternative options rather than only Africa,” he added.
Meanwhile, premier league champions Sheikh Jamal DC flew in two new players for trail on Saturday. Despite both of them representing Ebola free country (Haiti and Senegal), they had to go through checking and several tests in every airport.
“Every foreign player who is coming to Bangladesh has been carefully checked and tested in every transition point. Our airport also checked the players and they found no problem. We will again do a medical test for them before signing them,” said Sheikh Jamal DC football manager Anwarul Karim Helal.
Bangladesh has grown in to a hub of African players in the past few years and keeping that in mind the BFF urged their medical committee to take necessary steps in preventing the virus.
“We informed the medical committee about our concern regarding foreign players and Ebola virus. We said them to take any related precaution and take extra care about the issue. We will also provide them with a definitive guideline how to handle the issue within next week,” said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag.
Yesterday, the High Court also issued an order directing the government to take necessary steps at all international air, land and sea ports and all borders for identification of Ebola virus.
