December 07, (THEWILL) – Following the recent discovery of a COVID-19 variant, Omicron, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has refuted rumours that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) could be moved away from Cameroon.
THEWILL recalls that governments around the world have imposed travel restrictions for many African countries as a result of the new variation, with Nigeria, which borders Cameroon, being the most recent to be added to the UK’s red list.
Some media outlets have claimed the dates and venue of the 24-team tournament might change.
According to Alex Siewe, the CAF Director of Communications, neither his organisation nor top Cameroonian officials have implied such.
“We can’t keep spending time dealing with rumours,” Siewe remarked in response to the BBC. “We did not receive any other message or information from our leaders – nothing such as changing of dates or countries.
“We did not discuss such during all our last meetings. We are on site. We are working.”
The AFCON is set to begin on 9 January in Yaounde and conclude on 6 February. CAF personnel have already arrived in Cameroon to organise the finals.
Siewe confirmed this, saying “An official delegation from CAF has been released and general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba is joining us in two days.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
