CAF considering playing 2021 AFCON qualifiers behind closed doors

The Confederation of African football says it is 'closely monitoring' the evolution of the deadly coronavirus around the world, particular on the African continent and is considering a number of measures to ensure the safety of footballers and fans.

In a press release copied to www.ghanaweb.com, the continental football body says it will consider playing games, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers behind closed doors if it becomes necessary.

CAF however says it is not considering rescheduling upcoming games largely because "according to World Health Organization (WHO), no African country till date has been declared a high risk".

"Consequently, CAF has decided to maintain the schedule of all competitions. Also, CAF has been informed of the restrictive measures taken by the authorities of some Member Associations and is in contact to find solutions on a case-by-case basis, with the option of the organization of matches behind closed doors.

"Regarding the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) Cameroon 2020, a delegation from the CAF Medical Committee is scheduled to visit Cameroon from 14-15 March 2020. The purpose of this mission is to assess all the preventive measures taken by the Local Organizing Committee".

The CHAN competition is scheduled for 4-25 April 2020 while the thrid round of the 2021 AFCON qualifiers are set to be played by the end of March.

Ghana's Black Stars are expected to take on Sudan in a doubleheader later this month, with the first game scheduled for the Cape Coast stadium on March 27.