African qualifying groups for next year’s World Cup have been postponed and will start in September instead of June, FIFA said Thursday.
FIFA cited “current disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic” for the decision, which was taken along with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), firstpost.com report.
Ten groups of four teams each were scheduled to play two rounds of games from June 5-14, and two more in each of September and October. The groups will now run through November.
ALSO READ: Fernandes hails Cavani’s impact at Man United
The 10 group winners will advance to a playoff round that has now been postponed from November to March. The five winners of two-leg playoffs will represent Africa at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The qualifying matches in June were already due to be disrupted by a CAF decision this week that suspended many stadiums from staging national team games.
A total of 20 of CAF’s 54 member federations are now said to lack a stadium meeting minimum requirements, including eight still involved in World Cup qualifying.
Those federations were asked to propose replacement venues in neutral countries which would add to cross-border travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe was elected in March promising to improve Africa’s football infrastructure. The South African mining billionaire was unopposed in the vote when other candidates stood aside in a deal brokered by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Bournemouth are currently eighth in the Premier League following Saturday's win at Newcastle....
"We're all very clear on what we need to do, what we want to do…
The France centre-back's current deal expires this summer, five years after he joined from RB…
The police detained around 100 people, and while it was not immediately clear whether any…
The Nigerian, also known as “The Ruler,” showed resilience early on as both men tested…
In the Southern Conference, Sporting Lagos and Inter Lagos have secured tickets to the elite…
This website uses cookies.