Thursday, October 1, 2026

FIFA postpone June World Cup qualifiers in Africa

FIFA confirmed on Thursday that the 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for Africa during June have been postponed until September due to the coronavirus and stadiums not meeting international standards.
There will now be double matchdays in September, October and November with the 10 group winners advancing to the final round next March.
Africa has been allocated five places at the 32-nation tournament in Qatar, which has been moved from its traditional mid-year setting to November and December because of extreme summer heat.
Had two matchdays been staged in June, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone would not have been able to stage qualifiers.
The main stadiums in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya and Uganda were also ruled out, but they had alternate venues capable of hosting internationals.
Bahir Dar Stadium is the only Ethiopian stadium that is cleared to host world cup qualifiers.
Recently elected Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe from South Africa has prioritised improving poor facilities and pitches at many national stadiums.

Hot this week

Production up, but the ‘cost’ variable weighs heavily

Production is up in 2021 for the Italian agricultural...

Luminos Fund’s catch-up education programs in Ethiopia recognized

The Luminos Fund has been named a top 10...

Well-planned cities essential for a resilient future in Africa concludes the World Urban Forum

The World Urban Forum (WUF) concluded today with a...

Private sector deemed key to unlocking AfCFTA potential

The private sector’s role is vital to fully unlock...

Ethiopian Airlines Signs Boeing Deal for New 10 Freighters

Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with Boeing to...

If Ethiopia’s Economy Is Growing, How Are Its Workers Living?

I recently listened to an episode of the International...

Hospitals overwhelmed as violence surges across Northern Ethiopia

The humanitarian landscape in northern Ethiopia has suffered a...

Court halts multibillion-shilling Dangote refinery construction in Lamu

The ambitious multibillion-shilling Dangote refinery project in Lamu County...

Senators urge Rubio to intervene as Tigray Peace Agreement unravels

​A coalition of senior Senate Democrats, spearheaded by Senator...

Afreximbank deepens East African integration with multi-million dollar infrastructure push in Djibouti

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced a substantial...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img