Wednesday, September 9, 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...

Ethiopia overhauls 1990s construction guidelines to curb chronic delays

Ethiopia’s rapidly expanding construction sector has long grappled with...

Orbix targets 500,000 EV for national platform integration

Ethiopian Mobility and smart-infrastructure startup Orbix Technologies has officially...

Dangote group outlines Ethiopian expansion plans in historic multi-trillion Naira IPO launch

By our staff reporter Dangote Industries Limited has officially commenced...

U.S. DFC targets SME investment for Bishoftu International Airport

The United States and Ethiopia are deepening their commercial...

Technical skills not enough: African PFM reforms put leadership at centre stage

Public-sector reform across Africa is rarely held back by...

KEFI suspends Tulu Kapi work until secure environment restored after fatal incident

London-listed mining company Kefi Gold and Copper has immediately...

Addis Chamber moves to lead private sector role at COP32 through new Green Growth Centre

By Eyasu Zekarias The Addis Ababa Chamber of Sectoral Associations...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img