Cameroon withdraw from hosting games due to Covid-19
Egypt’s Zamalek player Youssef Morsy (right) in action with Tunisia's Etoile Sportive du Sahel Mohamed Amine (right) and Saddem Ben Aziza during the first leg of their CAF champions league semi final match at Borg El Arab Stadium near Alexandria on April 28, 2019. PHOTO | STRINGER |
What you need to know:
- The Egyptian media including AhramOnlineSports has been reporting that the Arab country will request to host the games, especially after their success in hosting the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the continental tournaments on a senior level.
Cameroon on Monday announced it has withdrawn from hosting the remaining matches of the 2019/2020 Caf Champions League, citing risks of contamination by the coronavirus pandemic that has killed 359 people in the country.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) announced in May that the central African country had been chosen to host the final four of the championship at the newly-constructed Japoma Stadium in the port city of Douala.
However, a recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the country has forced the government to backtrack on the earlier decision.
The president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), Seidou Mbombo Njoya said yesterday that the FA has failed to secure a government backing to host the “prestigious event” saying he has informed Caf.
“The decision is motivated by the risk of the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in Cameroon and uncertainties about the pandemic," he said.
Cameroon recorded its first case of the Covid-19 on March 6 and has counted 15,173 cases with 11,928 recoveries and 359 deaths as at Monday, according to African Union’s health agency, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Egypt’s big names Ahly of Cairo and city challengers Zamalek had been set to play the Champions League semi-finals against Moroccan duo Wydad de Casablanca and Raja de Casablanca respectively.
The Egyptian media including AhramOnlineSports has been reporting that the Arab country will request to host the games, especially after their success in hosting the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the continental tournaments on a senior level.
