The African qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup will not start in June.

In a press release dated Thursday, May 6, CAF announced a postponement to the fall, citing the need to adapt to the health challenge.

"The Emergency Committee of CAF, in consultation with FIFA, has decided to postpone the African qualifiers for the World Cup," the organization announced in a statement.

⚽️ The qualifying matches will now be held during the international windows of September, October and November 2021, as well as March 2022. # CAF #CAFOnline #football #StaySafeAfricahttps: //t.co/mujjEkhM5K

- CAF Media (@CAF_Media) May 6, 2021

The "playoffs will now be held during the international windows of September, October and November 2021, as well as March 2022," she added, without further specifying the schedule.

Improve Covid protocols

The decision takes into account the "challenges of the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the concern to guarantee optimal playing conditions", according to the CAF which said "(re-evaluate) its protocols (...) in particular pre-match tests ".

CAF is certainly referring to the unplayed match between Sierra Leone and Benin last March following positive PCR tests from several Beninese.

The Squirrels had shouted fraud and refused to play the game.

Upon their return to France, all of the suspected players had tested negative.

The match must be replayed in June to determine the 24th and last qualifier for CAN-2022 in Cameroon.

On Tuesday, sources inside several federations told AFP that this last minute postponement, four weeks before the start of qualifying, took place because many stadiums are not approved on the continent.

The six qualifying days would be staggered two by two in September, October and November, then the dams in March, after the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Cameroon, initially scheduled for 2021 but postponed to 2022 by the pandemic , according to the same sources.

With AFP

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