The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game between the Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone will be played in Nigeria.
The Group A clash will take place in either Lagos or Port Harcourt with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) set to make a decision on the venue in the coming days.
If Lagos is selected, the Teslim Balogun Stadium will be first choice while the picturesque Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium will be selected as match venue if Port Harcourt is selected by the federation.
NFF president Amaju Pinnick disclosed on Wednesday that the request for the game to be played in Nigeria was at the behest of the Sierra Leone Football Federation.
Pinnick added the NFF had also approached the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria for the go-ahead to stage the fixture in the country.
“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,” Pinnick was quoted as saying on the official NFF website, www.thenff.com.
The Teslim Balogun stadium, which was used during the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, will host the game.
It is several weeks since the last reported case of Ebola in Sierra Leone but it is yet to be officially declared free of the deadly disease.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will only allow Sierra Leone to resume hosting international matches when the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the country Ebola free.