Sierra Leone will host their Group I of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire in Nigeria on September 6th.
The match will be played in Lagos as Sierra Leone are banned from hosting international matches, owing to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus.
Leone Stars had to play their home tie against Ivory Coast in the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers in Abidjan after failing to secure a neutral venue.
The Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) will provide use of the stadium and medical facilities for the game, while the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) will cater for all other logistics.
The Teslim Balogun Stadium, which was used during the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, will host the game.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, said that on receiving the request from the Sierra Leone Football Association, the NFF approached the Federal Ministry of Health for an approval.
“We are delighted to announce that we have received the go-ahead from the Federal Ministry of Health to host the match. The Sierra Leoneans will come with a delegation of 32, made up of mostly overseas-based professionals, technical crew and officials of the SLFA, to be led by its president, Isha Johansen.
“We are happy about the go-ahead because, once more, our country has an opportunity to underscore its leadership role on the African continent, nay global sphere.
“The NFF has initiated discussions with the Lagos State Government and the Rivers State Government on preventive measures, such as keeping Sierra Leone’s small delegation in a special hotel where they can be monitored at all times,” Mr Pinnick explained.
