Malawi, Nigeria World Cup match to support global campaign against malaria
Malawi’s Flames players, to be featured in a crucial World Cup qualifier against Nigeria’s Super Eagles this Saturday, will join thousands of people campaigning against malaria scourge across the world.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Tuesday it will use the crucial game against the Flames in Calabar to support the campaign against the epidemic which claims millions of lives all over the world yearly.
The football players for the two teams will carry several banners, 15 minutes before the match kicks off, to create awareness about the dangers posed by the tropical disease.
The NFF President Aminu Maigari endorsed the anti-malaria campaign after a visit to that country by a non-governmental organization, Global Dream, which is in the vanguard of sensitizing the world to the dangers of malaria, through the use of mosquito nets.
Malaria remains a health burden in endemic areas and in Malawi it is the major health problem despite the country having a strong collective effort to mitigate the burden.
Maigari, alongside Nigeria’s First Lady Patience Jonathan, penned a register, which would be sent to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, on April 25, 2014, to support the campaign.
About 12 million mosquito nets will be donated by Global Dream to the Super Eagles, whose legendary striker, Thompson Oliha died recently due to malaria related complications. The Super eagles would also be conferred with Anti Malaria Ambassadorial status.
Meanwhile, the African champions’ Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel camp came alive on Tuesday afternoon when the team’s invited players hit Calabar town.
Among the star players included for are standing skipper Vincent Enyeama, Liverpool’s Victor Moses, Chelsea superstar, John Mikel Obi, Efe Ambrose, Sunday Mba, Lazio midfield anchor, Ogenyi Onazi, Obinna Nsofor and Uche Nwofor, who scored two beautiful goals against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in the Mandela Challenge a few weeks ago.
