Sierra Leone to quarantine Leone Stars
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sierra Loaded
Sierra Leone will quarantine its national football team, the Leone Stars, on their return from DR Congo to prevent the spread of Ebola. The measure follows their 12 November 2027 AFCON qualifying match, according to deputy National Public Health Agency official Mohamed Alex Vandi.
Dr Mohamed Alex Vandi, deputy executive director of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), announced the quarantine of Sierra Leone’s national football team, the Leone Stars, on their return from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The measure aims to protect the population from the spread of the Ebola virus, according to Dr Vandi, quoted by Sierra Loaded.
The decision comes as DR Congo faces its largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, with more than 10,600 confirmed cases and 5,100 deaths in early November 2026, a case fatality rate of more than 50%, reports Sierra Loaded. Community transmission remains active in DR Congo, while the outbreak has also affected Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.
The Leone Stars arrived in Kinshasa on 8 November ahead of their 2027 AFCON qualifying match against DR Congo, played on 12 November at the Stade des Martyrs. The Congolese team won 3-1 and retained the lead in Group E, according to Sierra Loaded.
Dr Vandi announced the measure during an Ebola preparedness session with private practitioners. The NPHA is seeking to coordinate public and private facilities to improve the detection and treatment of viral haemorrhagic fevers, according to Sierra Loaded. Sierra Leone experienced a severe Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which notably led to the suspension of national football activities.
