BEVERLY HILLS, March 29, (THEWILL) – The restrictions surrounding travel enforced around destinations known to have high rates of COVID-19 infections caused world football governing body, FIFA, to loosen rules obliging clubs to release players from travelling to represent their countries on international duty if it meant that they would be faced with quarantine restrictions upon their return.
This was especially enforced in the French Ligue 1 and 2, which denied permission to players in the league wishing to travel and link up with their compatriots for their countries’ qualification matches for the TOTAL African Cup of Nations (AFCON) biennial tournament for next year in Cameroon.
On Sunday, CAF released a statement about the eventual progress made on the issue stating that the French Government had agreed, under specific circumstances, to exempt players from Africa from travel restrictions and COVID-19 quarantine regulations when they return.
As reported by THEWILL, the restriction had grave implications for some countries on the continent such as the West African nation of the Republic of Senegal, which had to formally petition FIFA when clubs in Ligue 1 deprived them of no less than 12 players they needed to keep their position on top of Group I of the qualifying series, especially as they were not one of the seriously infected countries in the pandemic range.
In the ongoing discussions that this issue of the release of African players from Europe and other countries for the FIFA International week raised, the continental football body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held high-level discussions with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the French Football Association, and the French Government.
CAF noted that Gianni Infantino, the FIFA President and FIFA itself, played a very significant role in this process and collaborated closely with CAF President Patrice Motsepe and CAF General Secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba to bring about this favourable outcome.
Thei6 overall efforts were crucial to the success achieved by CAF as the world continues to find ways to work around the impact of COVID-19 on normalcy. Around the world of football, the release of players to their national teams remains a global problem and a challenge.
As THEWILL reported, FIFA had to step in to grant the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) permission to suspend the double date of the Qatar 2022 qualifications, taking into cognisance the impossibility of having all the South American players in a timely manner to execute their qualification matches due to travel restrictions enforced because of the pandemic.
But, CAF tabled the complaint of African countries before the world governing body at the FIFA Council meeting on Friday, March 19 to get it sorted out while it continued to be in contact where African footballers were playing to handle each case accordingly since every country had its own COVID-19 quarantine regulations and health and safety protocols.
The seriousness with which it took the issue was necessary as the release of European-based African players and African players playing outside the continent played a significant role in the overall performance of African national teams.
And, the better the performance, the better the respect and the standard of the AFCON and, by direct implication, the better the global competitiveness of African national teams in the FIFA World Cup next year at Qatar.
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.
