CAN 2021: Does the Covid-19 threaten the resumption of qualifications?

Senegalese Ismaila Sarr (here during CAN 2019) will not face Mauritania on October 13, 2020 in Thiès, the match having been canceled because of the Covid-19.

JAVIER SORIANO / AFP

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

4 min

Six preparatory matches for qualifying for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations were canceled because of Covid-19, between October 7 and 13, 2020. One month before the start of the qualifiers for CAN 2021, is it necessary worry about it?

Publicity

Read more

After Libya-Togo, Tunisia U20-Comoros, Guinea-Bissau-Angola, Guinea-Gambia, Mali-Iran, it is Senegal-Mauritania's turn to be canceled.

All of these encounters suffered the same fate, but for different reasons related to the new coronavirus.

The first two matches mentioned were scheduled in Tunisia and were victims of precautionary measures taken by the local authorities.

The Angolan Federation, for its part, decided to give up, believing that its Bissau-Guinean counterpart had not respected the required protocol.

The part between Guineans and Gambians, she could no longer keep up with the lack of available players, the Sily being the victim of a wave of packages, between Covid-19 contamination and injuries.

Malians and Iranians have agreed not to play, following cases detected in the Eagles.

Same agreement between Senegalese and Mauritanians following positive tests among Mourabitounes.

In total, 85% of the matches scheduled for African national A teams between October 7 and 13 will nevertheless have taken place.

And, if some delegations experienced chaotic regroupings during this period, others (in particular from North Africa and West Africa), contacted by rfi.fr, draw up a rather positive assessment.

Despite the complexity of the global situation, the summoned players managed to come to the rallies, regular medical tests were carried out ...

An uncertain context

One month before the resumption of

, should we be worried or on the contrary be reassured by the unfolding of this international break in October?

Days 3 and 4 are in fact scheduled between November 9 and 17, 2020, with 48 matches to be played in the space of nine days.

This time they will all take place in Africa, while half of the

took place on European soil.

Suddenly, for the many expatriates who make up the national teams of the continent, it will perhaps be even more complicated to honor a summons, difficulties of travel to Africa oblige.

It is obviously impossible to anticipate the evolution of the pandemic, even if

a drop in the number of cases detected in Africa compared to the peak of July 2020.

An adaptable schedule

The postponement of a few matches counting for the

could also pose scheduling problems, while the final phase of the tournament has been postponed to early 2022. Days 5 and 6 are supposed to take place in March 2021 then leave the place for

.

The eight necessary dates will occupy the international truces of June, September, October and November 2021. In June 2020, the International Football Federation (FIFA) had however anticipated possible problems by authorizing the African selections (and those of other confederations) to play up to four matches in June 2021 ...

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

• CAN 2021

• Sports