The health crisis will not prevent African football from having its birthday. Despite insistent rumors of postponement or cancellation due to Covid-19, the African Football Confederation confirmed on Tuesday that the Africa Cup of Nations will indeed be held in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6.
“On January 9, I will come to see (the opening match) between Cameroon and Burkina Faso”, declared the South African Patrice Motsepe, president of CAF, after a meeting with the Cameroonian head of state Paul Biya. The “Omicron variant is a huge challenge”, he stressed, however.
Without PCR test, no stage
Patrice Motsepe therefore assured that “no one will (it) be admitted to the stadiums without a PCR test”, while the organizers had already announced the obligation of vaccine and test to access the stadiums. The president of CAF also explained that he was aware of the proliferation of “false tests” but that the organization “was dealing with these problems”.
The president of CAF spoke with the new president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) at his side, the former international of the Indomitable Lions, Samuel Eto’o. “I will also be there when the trophy is handed over by Eto’o”, at the end of the competition, he confirmed. “Delighted to have exchanged our points of view with Patrice Motsepe”, was quick to twitter Paul Biya, 88 years old, including 39 years in power, continuing that the tournament would take place “in Cameroon as planned”.
CAF reassured
On the issue of the delay in infrastructure, subject of CAF discontent, the president of the African football body further assured that “a very good job had been done”. The main concern concerned the surroundings of the new Yaoundé stadium, in Olembé, that of the opening match and the final, one of the five arenas where the matches are to be held. The kickoff of the 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations will therefore be given on January 9 in this venue which can accommodate some 60,000 people.
Last week, the European Association of Clubs (ECA) threatened not to release international players for the CAN, worrying about the health protocol of the event against the backdrop of a pandemic. In response, the government and CAF unveiled on Thursday the health framework for the test based on tests and vaccines. But the ECA pointed out above all the risk of an absence of internationals longer than the period of availability provided for, because of “quarantines and travel restrictions” linked in particular to the emergence of the Omicron variant.