News
according to Sports Central reports that the African Cup of Nations schedule in
Cameroon next year has been postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic,
the Confederation of African Football announced
on Tuesday during a video conference.
CAF President Ahmad Ahmad said the African Football Association made the decision because "health is the top priority". African countries have suffered to varying degrees from the pandemic, with South Africa being the hardest hit by sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 144,000 cases, while Egypt, with more than 66,000 infections, has been most affected in North Africa.
Ahmad however added: "The peak of the pandemic has not been reached yet.
The
Nations Cup was to take place in January and February 2021 and after
experiencing a summer tournament in Egypt last year, it would return to its former
traditional winter period.
The
CAF Champions League will end its matches in September, while the Confederation
Cup will end in a "last four" tournament in Morocco later this year.
These
last two competitions were interrupted in March before the semi-finals.
Another tournament that has also been postponed is
the African Cup of Nations for local players. It will start in Cameroon in
January 2021.
Other
special CAF events, including its star-studded awards ceremony involving Liverpool duo of Mohamed Salah and
Sadio Mane, were also canceled.
CAF
members who attended the meeting did not discuss regional qualifications for
the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ahmad said current decisions could change with the
fluidity of the viral infection.
New Women’s Competition
Ahmad also announced the cancellation of the Women's Nations Cup, which was to take place in November, while also revealing the start of a new club competition for 2021.
He said: "I am expressing my pride in seeing the birth of a women's Champions League on the African continent," the CAF president, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct last year.
The
disputed president, who was also questioned by French authorities in Paris last
year about allegations of corruption, added that new elections on board of
directors are scheduled for March 2021 in Mauritania.
In
his failed mandate in the scandalous body, saw the Moroccan general secretary
Mouad Hajji resigned in March.
Last
week, FIFA pledged $1.5 billion in grants and loans as aid to help national and
continental associations stop the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.
CAF has announced an additional allocation of
$16.2 million to help national associations meet the financial challenges of
Covid-19.
Other
regional football competitions scheduled to take place this summer have also
been delayed, such as the European Championship and Copa America.
Meanwhile, in the past month and a half, some of the best European leagues have become active again. The matches were played in empty stadiums and according to strict health protocols.
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