The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has given the green light for the African Nations Football Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon to take place with spectators with COVID-19 measures implemented, reports insidethegames.biz.
Initially scheduled to have taken place in April 2020, the tournament was postponed to early 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic.
It is now set to run from January 16 to February 7 2021.
According to Journal du Cameroon, the Sports and Physical Education Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi was informed of this decision during a working visit to the Amadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.
Mouelle Kombi stated that during group matches, the stadiums will be filled at 25 per cent capacity.
“CAF has delivered a satisfactory certificate to Cameroon in which she indicates the percentage of stadia occupation in line with health exigencies outlines by FIFA,” said Mouelle Kombi.
“Twenty five per cent of spectators will be admitted in the different stadia during the first phase of the competition, that is group matches.”
He suggested that this could rise to 50 per cent in the knockout phases of the competition.
In a previous stadium visit in Douala, Cameroun Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute added that he was “sure” that by the time the competition starts, the COVID-19 situation in Africa will have improved.
To date, there have been more than 26,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cameroon, resulting in the deaths of 448 people.
Morocco are the defending champions.
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