EBOLA IN, IRISHMAN OUT

Johnny McKinstry, 29, is an Northern Irishman, no doubt buoyed by the European Championship success of his home nation yesterday. But as a football coach, once with the New York Red Bulls and for five years in Sierra Leone, he knows how tough things can get. After six games as manager of the national side he has lost only once, his team rose to the top 50 in FIFA rankings, but he was appointed in April and sacked in August after another defeat left his team bottom of the group in the Africa Cup. He is pondering the politics associated with the EBOLA VIRUS and important international matches due to be played in the near future. Having seen "his" country come out of a dreadful civil war, the country's footballers are now faced with quarantine.
A qualified coach, McKinstry is the technical director of the Craig Bellamy Academy in Freetown and was the youngest international manager. His academy players are now confined to the academy and he is allowed to leave the compound  once a fortnight to get provisions. The group has been locked down for 12 weeks. He tried to pick as many home based players as possible but reckoned it was safer to choose those playing in other countries. Inevitably, preparation has been affected and results failed.
To stop movement in the country, all domestic leagues have been ceased and the players, therefore, are not being paid. In a recent match with the Seychelles, the island forfeited rather than have visitors from that part of Africa cross their coastline. The Confederation of African Football has insisted that all their home games are played in neutral venues, such as DR Congo.With a game against Cameroon due, they are expecting abuse from foreign footballers and crowds, who really do not want physical contact with people likely to be carrying the virus. Even shaking hands before the game is an issue. In a recent game with the Ivory coast last month, players had to buy their own air tickets, some flew in late on Friday for a Saturday kick off.
Listen to this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29380314
By the way if Katy, the Rotherham supporter, from the Haloween shop in the Lanes at Meadowhall, Sheffield, is reading this, remember that disease affects English football too. As I was buying a costume Top Hat from her store this afternoon, I explained why the Victorian Top Hat industry in Stockport caused so much illness in the town's factories. Why is the local team called the Hatters? Were they mad? Do you know?