#COVID19: Organisers Of AFCON Say Access To Stadium Will Be Vaccination Cards

All football lovers and supporters of the various national sides that would take part in the forthcoming 33rd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals scheduled to take place in Cameroon from Jan. 9 to Feb. 6, 2022 must present vaccination cards against the COVID-19 before being allowed into the various stadiums.

The decision to this effect was jointly announced in Yaounde on Thursday, Dec. 16,  by the Cameroon government, the African Football Confederation Of African Football (CAF) and the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) during a press briefing.

“The Cameroon government, represented by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, the Confederation of African Football and FECAFOOT have decided as follows: supporters can only access into stadia in which AFCON 2021 matches will be played if they are completely vaccinated and present a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old or a negative TDR antigenic result less than 24 hours old,”  a communique signed by the various parties present during the press briefing revealed.

The various competent health authorities are expected to be deployed at all sites of the competition and would take all the relevant measures to facilitate the vaccination and COVID tests of all persons desiring to access the stadia as the CAF and the Cameroon government want to seize the opportunity of this grand football jamboree to intensify the campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“AFCON should and must favour the rigorous adhesion of participants and supporters to all the known barrier measures developed to date against the said virus namely the washing of and disinfection of hands, physical distancing, the wearing of masks and vaccination,” the communique revealed.

The CAF has meanwhile assured that within the context of objectivity and neutrality and in view of guaranteeing confidence measures on the part of all concerned, it has engaged an independent international laboratory to test the players and qualified teams and ensure their follow-up.

The joint decision by the Cameroon government, CAF and FECAFOOT comes within a context marked by a polemic concerning the COVID-19 protocol as European clubs which employ players of African national selections, have been threatening not to liberate their players in the absence of a COVID-19 protocol thus occasioning the spectre of a postponement of the competition.