Lausanne (AFP)
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Fifa announced on Tuesday that no international match would be played in early September, except in Europe, which will prevent many players from traveling.
Fifa has decided to replace the international window scheduled for August 31 to September 8 with a new window from January 24 to February 1, 2022 "for all confederations except UEFA," Fifa said in a statement.
Thus, South American or African players playing in Europe will not have to travel at the beginning of September to play with their selection.
Fifa also confirmed the addition of a new period (January 2022) for the African Cup of Nations (CAN), "the exact dates remaining to be determined later".
The Fifa Council decided on these schedule changes "in response to the disruption caused on a global scale by the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to plague many regions of the world," the body said in a statement.
The international federation has taken the same decision for the women's matches, canceling the existing window from September 14 to 22, 2020 for all confederations except UEFA.
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