Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia were identified as African nations with direct links or a high volume of travel to China.

The statement read “WHO has identified 13 top priority countries (Algeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia) which either have direct links or a high volume of travel to China. To ensure rapid detection of the novel coronavirus, it is important to have laboratories which can test samples and WHO is supporting countries to improve their testing capacity. Since this is a new virus, there are currently only two referral laboratories in the African region which have the reagents needed to conduct such tests. However, reagent kits are being shipped to more than 20 other countries in the region, so diagnostic capacity is expected to increase over the coming days. Active screening at airports has been established in a majority of these countries and while they will be WHO first areas of focus, the organization will support all countries in the region in their preparation efforts. It is critical that countries step up their readiness and in particular put in place effective screening mechanisms at airports and other major points of entry to ensure that the first cases are detected quickly”.

The African leaders withdrew from the three-day event holding in Capetown after the xenophobic attacks launched by South Africans against foreigners especially Nigerians.

Zimbabwean media personality, Josey Mahachie also confirmed that the Zambian National team cancelled its friendly match with South Africa, citing security concerns.

Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald reported that DR Congo could be kicked out of the tournament by CAF for trying to influence the result of the match against The Warriors on June 30 after a report by the Zimbabwe FA.

But the General Secretary of CAF, Mouad Hajji said that no official complaint has been received over the group stage game and the body isn’t carrying out any investigation.

Hajji said “At the level of the CAF, there is no suspicion, there is no hint of corruption about the Zimbabwe- DRC match in the third Group A match played on June 30, in Cairo. But if it turned out that there was anything and not only for this match, I remind you that our policy is a zero tolerance policy on corruption. As of today, there is no correspondence or issue.”

According to the report, “A large sum of money was supposed to be transferred into the bank of the Zimbabwean goalkeeper but the transaction was not completed after an Egyptian bank raised the red flag and reportedly declined to handle the issue.”

It is allegedly, Katumbi paid a large amount of money to Chipezeze to allow DR Congo score at will. Substitute keeper Chipezeze, who only played in the match after first- choice George Chigova picked up an injury during the warm- up, refused to comment on the issue , saying he’s been advised not to respond to the reports.

However, Katumbi sent a statement to CAF, denying all allegations and calling them partial fiction and poor journalism.

The statement reads “Mr. Katumbi formally denounces these accusations English. Mr. Katumbi would wish to underline that by the time these alleged accusations happened, he had already left Egypt. So it was physically impossible for him to approach any players. His passport confirms this and a copy of that is attached to this letter.”