"On January 9, I will come to see (the opening match) between Cameroon and Burkina Faso," South African Patrice Motsepe, CAF president, told reporters on Tuesday after a meeting with the head of the Cameroonian State Paul Biya.

The variant "Omicron is a huge challenge", however underlined Mr. Motsepe, who assured that "nobody will be (it) admitted in the stages without a PCR test", whereas the organizers had already announced the obligation of vaccine and test to access the stadiums.

The president of CAF also assured to be aware of the proliferation of "false tests" but that the organization "was dealing with these problems".

Mr. Motsepe made a statement to the press alongside the new president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), the former international of the Indomitable Lions, Samuel Eto'o.

"I will also be there when the trophy is handed over by Eto'o", at the end of the competition, continued Mr Motsepe.

"Delighted to have exchanged our points of view with Patrice Motsepe", was quick to twitter Paul Biya, 88 years old, including 39 years in power, continuing that the tournament would take place "in Cameroon as planned".

Infrastructure

On the issue of the delay in infrastructure, subject of CAF discontent, the president of the African football body assured that "a very good job had been done".

The President of the African Football Confederation (CAF) Patrice Motsepe during the draw ceremony for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Yaounde (Cameroon) on August 17, 2021 Daniel Beloumou Olomo AFP

CAF's main concern concerned the surroundings of the new Yaoundé stadium, in Olembé, that of the opening match and the final, one of the five arenas where the matches are to be held.

The kickoff of the 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations will therefore be given on January 9 in this venue which can accommodate some 60,000 people.

On CRTV, Cameroon's state television, many programs broadcast throughout the day revolve around the CAN, in particular the retrospective of the victories of the Indomitable Lions, who have won the competition five times, the last time in 2017. And the countdown before the start of the tournament, to D-19 Tuesday, appears permanently on the screen.

International

Last week, the European Association of Clubs (ECA) threatened not to release international players for the CAN, worrying about the health protocol of the event against the backdrop of a pandemic.

In response, the government and CAF unveiled on Thursday the health framework of the test based on tests and vaccines.

But the ECA pointed out above all the risk of an absence of internationals longer than the period of provision provided, because of "quarantines and travel restrictions" linked in particular to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

In recent days, the rumors around a possible cancellation or a new postponement of the tournament, which will host 24 teams from the continent, were becoming more and more insistent.

The joy of the Algerians and Riyad Mahrez (center) after the coronation of Algeria during the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Cairo, Egypt, July 19, 2019 Giuseppe CACACE AFP

On September 21, 2014, in Addis Ababa, Cameroon was designated host country for CAN-2019.

In January 2019, CAF estimated that the country of the Indomitable Lions was not ready to host the competition and attributed the organization at short notice to Egypt.

The CAN was finally to be held in Cameroon in 2021 but had been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus epidemic.

According to an opposition deputy, more than 3,000 billion CFA francs (4.5 billion euros) have already been granted in the organization of the event, a figure that the government has not confirmed.

The Indomitable Lions, who fell in the group stages against Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, and Ethiopia, are among the favorites of the competition, with the Algerian title holder, Egypt of Mohamed Salah or again Senegal by Idrissa Gueye and Edouard Mendy.

© 2021 AFP