It is becoming obvious that FIFA will work with the assumption that there is not going to be any international matches for the reminder of 2020 if the Corona virus pandemic is not brought under control. As such, the African Football Confederation (CAF) will be forced to cancel the remaining final phase of CAN 2021 which was slated to take place next year in Cameroon from 9th Jan - 6th Feb.
As it is, the Covid-19 scourge has heavily disrupted the World sports calendar for several weeks right now. The import of this however, is that it could stretch the calendar for several months if not more than a year. Also, the possibility of the calendar for the final leg of the CAN 2021 will be cancelled indefinitely. Vice president of FIFA Victor Montagliani said the world football governing body is considering the cancellation of all international matches scheduled for September through to November for several obvious reasons.
There is the need to grant priority to National championship followed by club competitions. But given the health situation facing the entire world, the question of traveling from one country to the other is out of the question. Going by what the FIFA scribe is saying, it will indeed force CAF to postpone the African cup of nations. Already, the African football governing body had postponed some number of matches for the qualification.
DISTORTION OF CALENDAR.
Obviously, canceling all global international matches for the year 2020 will unerringly mean that, CAF must put on hold the final phase of CAN 2021. According to Ahmad Ahmad, the President of African football, if the matches cannot take place as slated, the climatic condition for the months of June and July is not favorable in that part of the continent.
Well, whether CAF likes it or not, it will be nearly impossible for the calendar slated for CAN 2012 to remain intact. This is so because FIFA which governs all football affairs on the globe have spoken. CAF will only but follow FIFA'S suite unerringly. Besides, football is presently at a standstill and no individual or group can tell when the situation will improve. The only alternative right now is to await the establishment of a universal calendar which will offer direction to how football will be conducted as being proposed by FIFA in its much spoken about video conferences.
NB. All images used are google sourced.
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