CAF president Patrice Motsepe | Courtesy photo |
The CAF chief’s visit comes against a
backdrop of persistent rumours that the January 9-February 6 continental
showpiece could be called off or delayed again.
The tournament has already suffered a
year-long delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before talks with Cameroon President Paul
Biya and an inspection of Yaounde’s Olembe stadium, Motsepe said: “We are very
sure of our commitment to make (the tournament) a success in Cameroon.”
His visit comes a week after Europe’s top
clubs threatened to refuse to release their African players for the event due
to concerns over the Covid-19 health protocol.
Many of Africa’s leading players are based
at clubs in Europe, including Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Riyad
Mahrez of Manchester City, and Achraf Hakimi and Idrissa Gana Gueye of Paris
Saint-Germain.
The European Club Association made its
concerns known to FIFA in a letter seen by AFP.
The ECA also raised concerns about the
danger of players being unavailable for even longer periods due to the
potential for travel restrictions or mandatory quarantine being introduced, in
particular, due to the emerging threat posed by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Supporters attending matches at next
month’s tournament will be required to show proof of vaccination and present a
negative Covid-19 test result, officials announced last week. AFP
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