African football: the crucial October friendlies but headache
Cameroonian Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting.
OZAN KOSE / AFP
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
4 min
The African national football teams will return to the field between October 5 and 13, 2020, after nearly a year of absence due to Covid-19.
These friendly meetings will serve as great preparations for the rest of the qualifiers for CAN 2021 (9-17 November) and CHAN 2020 (16 January-7 February 2021).
However, the health context makes it difficult to organize these friendly matches.
Publicity
Read more
On October 15, 2019, the Algerian team celebrated its title of African champion with dignity by beating Colombia 3-0 in a gala match organized in the North of France.
Who could have imagined that the Algerian selection, like many others on the continent, would not play again for nearly a year?
The Covid-19 pandemic has meanwhile passed there, preventing the holding of international meetings in March and June 2020. As for the period of September 2020, during which Europe organized international matches, it saw Africa pass his turn, after decision of the International Football Federation (FIFA).
Essential tests
It is therefore between October 5 and 13, “FIFA window” reserved for national teams, that the African selections will make their comeback on the lawns.
And there is work ahead: between November 9 and 17, the African Football Confederation (CAF) has scheduled two qualifying days for the 2021 African Cup of Nations. Then from January 16 to February 7, 2021, there will be the 2020 African Nations Championship reserved for local players, a competition postponed for nine months due to the coronavirus.
Time is therefore running out for the countries concerned by these two major meetings.
Cameroon, which will organize CHAN 2020 and CAN 2021 (in January 2022 ...), has thus planned two separate courses: one for locals who will play CHAN at home, and another in the Netherlands for expatriates who will face it. Japan on October 9.
Provided that the Covid-19 does not disrupt the plans of the Cameroonian Federation (Fécafoot) ...
An organizational puzzle
Finding an opponent is already not easy for African federations.
In October, the European selections will indeed be monopolized by the 3rd and 4th days of the League of Nations.
In South America, this October period will be used to start qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Unsurprisingly, there will be a lot of inter-African confrontations and a few matches against Asian selections.
It also remains to find a place for internships and meetings.
Some countries (England, France ...) are less easy to access than usual for gatherings, coronavirus requires.
On the other hand, some destinations are doing well, such as Portugal which could host up to ten African selections next month.
But the options, in Africa, Asia or Europe, do not seem to be legion.
Tenors without matches
?
Two weeks before the next FIFA window, some countries, and not the least, have still not communicated their program.
Algeria and Egypt, for example, have still not disclosed the identity of their adversaries.
Announcements and details are expected this week all over Africa.
As for last minute game cancellations, given the health context and travel restrictions, they cannot be ruled out ...
AFRICAN FRIENDLY MATCHES *
Wednesday October 7 -
Andorra - Cape Verde, in Andorra la Ville
Zambia - Malawi, in Lusaka
Thursday October 8 -
Mozambique - Guinea Bissau, in Portugal
Libya - Comoros, in Tunisia
South Africa - Namibia, place NC
Friday October 9 -
Morocco - Senegal, in Rabat
Congo-Brazzaville - Gambia, in Portugal
Sudan - Tunisia, in Radès
Nigeria - Ivory Coast, in Austria
Japan - Cameroon, in Utrecht (Netherlands)
Ghana - Mali, in Turkey
Mauritania - Sierra Leone , in Nouakchott
Saturday October 10 -
Guinea - Cape Verde, in Albufeira (Portugal)
Kenya - Zambia, in Nairobi
Tuesday October 13 -
Guinea - Gambia, in Portugal
Senegal - Mauritania, in Thiès
Tunisia - Nigeria, in Austria
Morocco - DR Congo, in Rabat
Japan - Ivory Coast, in Utrecht (Netherlands)
Mali - Iran, in Turkey
Mozambique - Angola, in Portugal
South Africa - Zambia, in Rustenburg
* Matches for which the holding has been confirmed by at least one of the two federations concerned.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Soccer
CAF
Sports
CAN 2021
World Cup 2022
CHAN 2020