African football: The state of play amid coronavirus pandemic

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Top African football officials will hold a video conference Tuesday to go over the method forward amid the coronavirus pandemic, which stopped football last March apart from in Burundi.

Concerns to be discussed by CAF president Ahmad and his executive include the 24- team Africa Cup of Nations, which is scheduled for Cameroon from January 9 to February 6.

” We very much want the Cup of Nations to go on as planned next January and February,” acting CAF general secretary Abdelmounaim Bah told AFP.

African countries have suffered to differing degrees from the pandemic with South Africa the hardest struck among those south of the Sahara.

By late Saturday the most industrialised nation in the continent had actually reported 131,800 COVID-19 cases and 2,413 deaths.

Here, AFP Sport updates the scenario concerning the 5 major national team and club competitors:


World Cup

The first group components amongst 40 contenders for 5 locations at the 2022 finals in Qatar were supposed to be played last March and after that pushed back to October.

Now, those arranged for both October and November are sure to be delayed up until sometime next year amid a scramble to complete 2021 Africa Cup of Nations certifying.

African champions Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo are seeded to win the four-team mini-leagues.

In November 2021, at the earliest, there will be 5 home-and-away ties amongst the group table-toppers with the winners securing flights to Doha.


Africa Cup of Nations

There are four rounds of qualifying to opt for the competition next January and February in Cameroon, the main African country which last hosted the tournament in 1972.

That means 2 rounds each need to be played in the October 5-13 and November 9-17 FIFA windows to deliver 23 finalists plus automated qualifiers Cameroon.

If only the November window is offered, the certifying could still be completed if the organisers ditch arise from the first two rounds and select one of two other options.

CAF could produce 2 home-and-away ties in each group with the general winners qualifying, or play single-round mini-leagues with the very first 2 finishers in each flying to Yaounde.


African Countries Championship

Cameroon was also due to host the 16- nation tournament reserved for footballers playing in their nation of birth, however the virus forced the April 4-25 finals to be postponed.

While discovering brand-new dates is going to be a difficulty, the Nations Championship is not based on a global window as foreign-based experts are not included.

Protecting champions Morocco is because of defend a title they won for the very first time two years ago by frustrating 10- male Nigeria 4-0 in rain-lashed Casablanca.

Togo, the only newbie qualifiers, have been dealt a massive blow by the death this month of star forward Kossi Koudagba, 25, from malaria.


CAF Champions League

There are 2 scenarios for finishing the 2019/2020 edition of the elite club competitors, which has actually reached the semi-finals stage with 2 survivors each from Morocco and Egypt.

CAF says alternative one is playing the home-and-away semi-finals on July 31- August 2 and August 7-9 and the one-leg last in Cameroonian port city Douala on August 28.

The 2nd alternative is staging the semi-finals on September 4-6 and September 11-13 with the final on September 25.

Casablanca clubs Raja and Wydad will enjoy home advantage first against Cairo outfits Zamalek and record eight-time African champions Al Ahly respectively in the penultimate phase.


CAF Confederation Cup

There are likewise two scenarios for the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League with the two sets of semi-finals dates the like those of the Champions League.

If CAF opt for the very first option, the last in Moroccan capital Rabat is arranged for August 23, and if the second scenario comes into play the title decider will be on September 23.

Renaissance Berkane, Confederation Cup runners-up to Zamalek last season after a charge shootout, deal with fellow Moroccan club Hassania Agadir in the semi-finals.

Pyramids FC, a quickly increasing Egyptian club thanks in part to an enormous injection of Saudi and Emirati funds to purchase gamers, tackle Horoya of Guinea in the other half of the draw.

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https://covid19globalcases.com/african-football-the-state-of-play-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/

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