Dushanbe (Tajikistan) (AFP)
The football season started on Saturday in Tajikistan, when most countries have suspended their competitions due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Like Belarus, another former Soviet republic that has maintained its championship, Tajikistan, which has not yet reported a single case of COVID-19 patients, has chosen to play football.
The Super Cup, won by defending champion FC Istiklol against FC Khujand (2-1), opened the season this Saturday in the capital Dushanbe. But unlike Belarusian matches, the match was played behind closed doors.
The match nevertheless ended with hugs and handshakes between the players of the two teams during the awarding of the trophy.
In March, tens of thousands of people participated in national celebrations. President Emomalo Rakhmon, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1992, was thus seen posing with dozens of young women dressed in traditional dress, while leaders around the world advocated social distancing.
The coronavirus pandemic affects more than one million people worldwide and has caused more than 60,000 deaths.
© 2020 AFP