While facing Cameroon twice in five days, the Stars must submit at breakfast and dinner to temperature screenings for Ebola, even though none play professionally in Sierra Leone or have even traveled to the country since July. After last month’s match in Congo, some players were screened four times in a single day as they attempted to return to their club teams in Europe and the United States.
Players understand that countries must guard against the spread of the virus, said Kei Kamara, a Sierra Leone forward who remained with his club team, the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, rather than travel to Cameroon. What is disheartening, Kamara said in a telephone interview, is that “we’re treated like we’re walking around with the disease.
The chaos related to Ebola worsened last week, with infighting between Sierra Leone’s soccer federation and its sports ministry; the two have long jousted for control of the national team. The factions appointed separate replacements for the previous coach, who was fired last month.