March 9 – The 2021 edition of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations has been cancelled at the last minute by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), leaving hosts Morocco embarrassed on the eve of the governing body’s 43rd general assembly.
Following a meeting in the Moroccan capital, the emergency committee of CAF decided that the junior edition of the continental finals could no longer be held due to the resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant restrictions on international travel.
In a statement, CAF said: “The Committee was made aware of the constraints faced by some of the participating member associations as well as the host country including the fact that the coronavirus pandemic continues to present significant challenges for the organization of international sporting events.”
The African confederation also took into account that the U-17 World Cup won’t take place. The continental finals serve as the qualifiers for the global tournament, but last December FIFA pulled the plug on those finals.
CAF’s tournament had been due to kick off on Saturday in Morocco. Group A reunited the hosts with Ivory Coast, Zambia and Uganda while in group B Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria and Congo-Brazzaville were due to meet. In Group C, Cameroon were drawn alongside South Africa, Mali and Senegal.
The Ugandans were among the first teams to arrive in Morocco. Zambia, Tanzania and Ivory Coast had also set up base in preparation for the finals. It’s the second time in seven years that the north African kingdom has withdrawn from hosting a continental tournament. In 2015, Morocco pulled out of staging the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations over Ebola fears.
The last-minute cancellation will leave Morocco red-faced. Rabat is due to stage the 43rd general assembly of CAF on Friday, but travel restrictions have complicated access for both CAF’s own personnel, operating out of Cairo, and journalists, with the Kingdom closing various borders.
A US State department advisory states: “As of February 25, the Government of Morocco has suspended all flights to/from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. All passengers traveling from or transiting those countries are currently not allowed to enter Morocco.”
Those rules will however not apply to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, who is expected to be crowned CAF president on Friday in Rabat.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1714082065labto1714082065ofdlr1714082065owedi1714082065sni@o1714082065fni1714082065