Transfer of matches in the African Cup due to the poor condition of the stadiums

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said yesterday that the poor condition of the stadiums caused an unprecedented change in the stadiums for the quarter-finals and semi-final matches of the tournament hosted by Cameroon.

For more than a week, there were concerns about the poor condition of the Gabona stadium in the city of Douala.

Cameroon are still scheduled to host Gambia in the quarter-finals at this stadium next Saturday but it will be their last game there.

Two other matches were moved from Gabona Stadium, the quarter-final match on Sunday and the semi-final on Wednesday, to Ahmedou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde.

This means that two quarter-final matches will be played in the new stadium next Sunday, with Egypt first meeting Morocco before Senegal play Equatorial Guinea.

CAF also repeated its threat that the Olympic Stadium, which will host another semi-final match next Thursday and the final on February 6, may be excluded from hosting these matches unless CAF receives adequate safety guarantees from the Cameroonian authorities.

"CAF and the LOC must also receive assurances and guarantees that appropriate and sufficient assurances and guarantees have been taken and implemented to prevent a similar accident at an Olympic Stadium which resulted in the death of eight fans and the injury of others," CAF said in a statement.

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