Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure has urged fans at the Africa Cup of Nations to be patient with Ebola checks that are holding up entry into stadiums.
The World Health Organisation's (WHO) screenings are causing queues and fans and police have clashed before games.
The WHO is seeking assurances over the safety of its workers at the
tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
"Fans need to know they have to be checked. It's more important than the game," Liverpool defender Toure said."We have all to make sure this disease doesn't increase, because nothing is more important than people's lives."
Police used electroshock weapons, batons and cattle prods to stop the fighting after fans surged towards entrances in Ivory Coast's 1-1 draw with Guinea and Mali's 1-1 draw against Cameroon. Trouble also flared up atEquatorial Guinea's goalless draw with Burkina Faso.A WHO worker at one of the matches on Tuesday told the BBC she feared for her safety and had to come inside the gates to carry out the checks for Ebola.
Supporters have their temperatures checked and are then asked to clean their hands with sanitising gel as they enter stadiums, which is resulting in long queues.
Liverpool centre-back Toure, who is vice-captain of the Elephants, wants supporters to understand the significance of the checks being carried out by the WHO.
"It's very important that people just think, because you can get it in the stadium if just one guy has it," the 33-year-old added.
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