BEVERLY HILLS, January 05, (THEWILL) – Sequel to the refusal of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to approve exemptions from COVID-19 quarantine protocols for the South African football club Bloemfontein Celtic, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has turned to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for help.
They asked CAF to authorise the postponement and or possible relocation of the Confederation Cup first round second-leg between Nigerian club Rivers United and Bloemfontein as the laid-down required period of quarantine will affect the schedule of the match.
In its letter on Monday, the NFF asked for the “postponement of the game and a possible rescheduling of both the date and venue of the match, with the possibility of staging the match in any Nigeria neigbouring countries with a little less stringent COVID-19 protocols.”
The NCDC insisted on existing health and safety protocols to safeguard the health of those in the country and minimise the risks of entry into Nigeria of the new variant of the coronavirus, which is far more transmissible than the original strain and which has been traced to South Africa.
The fixture was originally scheduled for Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In the first leg played in South Africa two weeks ago, Rivers United defeated Bloemfontein 2-nil.
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.
