AFCON
COVID-19 rules issued ahead of 2021 AFCON kick-off
Health concerns are given prominence as the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations is about to kick-off. On the eve of the most postponed edition, the governing body, CAF set a new guidelines & rules regarding the substitutions and COVID-19 cases.
Ahead of the kick-off, almost all the 24 teams have had one issue or the other regarding the global pandemic, COVID 19.
The number is alarming in some teams. For instance, Nigeria’s last group opponents, Guinea Bissau recorded 10 positive cases in their camp just three days to kick-off.
Egypt have had to drop their first choice goalkeeper, Mohamed Abo Gabal as well as trainer Essam El Hadary .
To ease the process of completing all games on time, the CAF have laid down some rules regarding the virus, stating that teams must play their matches provided they have a minimum of 11 players available.
Moreover, in case of the absence of all goalkeepers, an outfield player must go between the sticks, provided the total number of available players is at least 11.
If a team fail to field 11 players, they will be considered to have lost the match by a scoreline of 0-2; however, the in case of exceptional cases, the Organizing Committee of the compeition will be the one to take the appropriate decision.
And regarding the number of substitute players per match, CAF have permitted each team to use a maximum of five substitutes, with a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game and at half-time.
Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time, where teams will each be allowed one additional substitution and an extra substitution opportunity.
These rules will first take place as hosts Cameroon go head-to-head with Burkina Faso in the opening game of group A on Sunday, three hours before Ethiopia take on Cape Verde.
Number of substitute players per match:
CAF will apply the five substitutions per match rule during this competition, as follows:
- Each team will be permitted to use a maximum of five substitutes.
- To reduce disruption to the match, each team will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game; substitutions may also be made at half-time.
- If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as one of the three opportunities for each team.
- Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time.
- Where extra time is played, teams will each be allowed one additional substitution, and will have one additional substitution opportunity; substitutions may also be made before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.
Minimum number of players in case of a team affected by COVID-19
- If the result of the Covid-19 PCR test of any player is positive, such player will not be authorized to go to the stadium or participate in the applicable match.
- A team will be required to play a match if they have a minimum of eleven (11) players available who have tested negative. In the event of the absence of a goalkeeper, another player from the team must replace the goalkeeper, provided the total number of available players is at least eleven.
- A team that does not have a minimum of eleven (11) players available will be considered to have lost the match 0-2.
- In exceptional cases, the Organizing Committee of the Africa Cup of Nations will take the appropriate decision.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations
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