The COVID-19 outbreak has forced the Confederation of African Football (CAN) to postpone the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to January 2022.
Also, the continental football body agreed that the African Nations Championship (CHAN) will be played in January of 2021 in Cameroon. Also agreed at the meeting which ended just minutes ago was that the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup semifinals and final will be played over one leg in both Morocco and Cameroon.
This is against the two-legged semifinals and finals in the previous edition. INDEPENDENT gathered that the decision to play only one leg was to reduce the chance of possible spread of Coronavirus.
Also, it was earlier thought that the interclub competitions will be concluded in the United Arab Emirates, but the continental body denied the initial speculation, reportedly saying the decision to host them in Cameroon and Morocco was to test facilities, particularly in the former for the 2021 CHAN and 2022 AFCON.
Meanwhile, the meeting also agreed to cancel the 2020 African Women Cup of Nations, as it would most likely clash with the flagship Cup of Nations, and will likely be played later in 2021.
The development, as has been gathered, was not unconnected with the spread of the Coronavirus which disrupted football and other sporting as well as economic activities in the world.
