CAN 2021 qualifiers: the third and fourth days threatened?

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

Will the African Football Confederation (CAF) postpone the matches of the 3rd and 4th days of the CAN 2021 qualifiers, scheduled for the end of March? Several Federations and breeders question CAF about the risk linked to the progression of the coronavirus worldwide.

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Are we going to postpone the next two days of the CAN qualifiers scheduled for the end of March? If the coronavirus did not arrive en masse on the African continent, the rare cases raise questions. Especially since they mostly come from Europe. And everyone is aware that a large part of the selections have binationals or Africans, such as the Senegalese Sadio Mané, who play in the European championships.

"We pretend that the virus does not exist in Africa"

" Does CAF know that there is coronavirus in the world? Or maybe they take all the teams for guinea pigs? "Questions Claude Le Roy, Togo coach. " I'm not a paranoid person, but it's disturbing. We pretend that the virus does not exist in Africa. CAF's behavior makes me angry. All the players call me. They are worried. What can I answer them? Everywhere, everything stops, we confine people and in Africa we do not react. It's implausible. Togo must face Egypt over the next two days. “ It is obvious that we have to postpone the matches and wait until the peak of the epidemic has passed. I believe it is a measure of common sense. For me, health comes first, ”says Claude Le Roy.

Burundi has already informed that players playing in Europe will not be summoned. A measure taken after the decision of the Ministry of Health which requires 14 days of quarantine for people arriving on Burundian soil. The Burundian Football Federation appealed to CAF to " study the organization of these matches in order to allow the participation of all qualified players ".

Last Wednesday, the African Football Confederation decided " to maintain the programming of all its competitions ", despite the coronavirus, opening the possibility of meetings behind closed doors. However, in recent days, several countries on the continent affected by the now COVID-19 pandemic have taken drastic measures. Algeria has canceled all of its events, especially sports. Morocco, for its part, has decreed in camera for all football matches, as has Egypt. Madagascar, Rwanda and Kenya now ban all sports gatherings. Lesotho squarely suspends all international travel to and from its territory.

"Faced with such a psychosis, which still has the head in football"

Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet has called for the games to be postponed. The Gambia is to face Gabon on March 26 and 30. In its ranks, several players play in Italy. " We cannot prepare to play qualifying matches when certain countries will not be able to use their best players, not because of injuries (...), but because of an international problem ," Tom Saintfiet told BBC Sport Africa.

“ I delivered my list on time. But it becomes worrying for the grouping, "says Patrice Neveu, the coach of Gabon who should face Gambia. Its emblematic player, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should be in quarantine. At Arsenal, his trainer, Mikel Arteta, has contracted the virus. “ We did not think that the situation would evolve so quickly in Europe every day. Now clubs no longer train. And I do not know if the clubs will release the players with the dangerousness of the virus. And will African countries also accept to receive them? “, Loose Patrice Neveu. " Faced with such a psychosis, who still has his head in football? "He asks.

If the CAF decided not to change anything, the breeders would be forced to deal with the locals in preparation for the CHAN. “ It's not possible to play with just the locals. It would not be fair. Most nations have expatriate players. I know that the authorities will decide and we are waiting. But we must not forget that these meetings are very important, ”concludes Patrice Neveu.

Remarks by Patrice Neveu and Claude Le Roy collected by Antoine Grognet

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