RABAT, MOROCCO: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have announced the last-minute cancellation of the 2021 U17 Total Africa Cup of Nations.
The cancellation of the prestigious tournament comes just five days before to the planned kickoff date.
The CAF Emergency Committee that sat on Monday, March 08, 2021 in Rabat, Morocco decided to halt the much anticipated youth tournament due to the resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant restrictions on international travel.
“The Committee was made aware of the constraints faced by some of the participating member associations as well as the host country, including the fact that the coronavirus pandemic continues to present significant challenges for the organisation of international sporting events,” read a Caf statement as seen by Daily Express.
Uganda is among the countries that have been hit most by the untimely cancellation of the tournament as the U17 team will miss out on the chance to showcase their talents at the prestigious continental tournament.
“Taking into account the cancellation by FIFA of the Under-17 World Cup for which the U-17 CAN was no longer qualifying, the Committee further noted:
- The resurgence of the Covid19 pandemic.
- Increased restrictions on international travel
- Uncertainty about the evolution of the situation
“For all these reasons, the Committee decided to cancel the 2021 edition of the Total U17 Africa Cup of Nations.”
Uganda had been pitted into a Group A that consisted of Morocco, Ivory Coast and Zambia, while Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria and Congo-Brazzaville had been set to meet in Group B.
In Group C, holders Cameroon were primed to meet South Africa, Mali and Senegal in the 12-team tournament, which was due to take place between March 13 and March 31.
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: [email protected] Or join the Daily Express WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and trends or join the Telegram Channel for the latest updates.
