Cameroon braves Covid-19 to host Afcon

Against the odds, Africa will this week seek to keep alive a footballing tradition that started 64 years ago.

Since the first edition held in 1957 in Sudan and won by Egypt, the biennial Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament has grown in leaps and bounds.

The prize money has grown, as has the number of competing teams. On Friday, CAF resolved to increase the prize money for competing teams during its executive committee meeting in Douala, Cameroon.

In overall, some Sh208.5 million (1.850 million US Dollars) has been added to the prize money from the quarter-final stage to the final, but the winners’ prize has increased by about 11 percent from the amount paid out to 2019 champions Algeria.

Consequently, the 2021 Afcon champions will pocket Sh563.7 million ($5 million), an increment of Sh56,370 ($500) from Sh496 million ($4.4 million) paid out to the 2019 champions. Losing finalists will take home Sh310 million ($2.75 million) up from Sh297.6 million ($2.64 million) paid out in 2019.

The third-placed team will get Sh248 million ($2.2 million — an increase of $200,000), while teams eliminated at the quarter-finals will take home Sh132.4 million ($1.175 million — up from $703,000 paid out in 2019).Just for qualifying for the biannial tournament, each of the 24 participating teams has received Sh60.2 million ($534,000).

From a three-team tournament hosted by Sudan in 1957 and won by Egypt, it grew to a six-team affair in 1963 (hosted and won by Ghana), then to eight teams in 1968 (hosted by Ethiopia and won by the Democratic Republic of Congo), and later to a 12-team tournament in 1992 (hosted by Senegal and won by Cote d’Ivoire).

It became an 16-team tournament in 1996 (hosted and won by South Africa), then transformed into a 24-team tournament in 2019 (hosted by Egypt and won by Algeria). Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used in all the 52 matches across six venues rather than from the quarter-final stage as was the case in 2019.

Seven-time champions Egypt

Since Egypt beat Ethiopia 4-0 in the final of the inaugural edition in 1957, 13 other teams have won the tournament.

Seven-time champions Egypt hold the record for most wins, followed by Cameroon (five), Ghana (four), Nigeria (three) and Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire and the former Zaire (two each). Congo Brazaville, Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia and Zambia have won it once each.

Controversy has greeted player call-ups, timing of the tournament, Cameroon’s readiness to host the event, and the attendant Covid-19 challenge, but Cameroon might just prove the naysayers wrong.

The argument about the timing (this ‘small’ tournament comes in the middle of the major European football leagues) is pretentious. Afcon has been the most flexible tournament and has changed dates to accommodate other sporting championships.

In 2013, the tournament’s format was switched from odd-numbered years so as not to clash with the FIFA World Cup. In 2017, Afcon was moved from January to June so as not to clash with the major European leagues.

The tournament is only taking place from January 9 to February 6 because it was postponed due to Covid-19.

Some teams in the major European leagues have released African players for the tournament reluctantly, while others have withheld them “due to injury” or “the call-up notice came too late.”

Losing such high caliber of players as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohammed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, among others, for up to a month mid-season is understandably too heavy a price for some European clubs, but it shouldn’t come in the way of a player’s ambitions with his national team.

Claims that Cameroon is unprepared to host the tournament are far-fetched. The central African nation was initially meant to host the 2019 edition, before being stripped of the tournament due to delays in its preparations, with Egypt replacing it.

It was then awarded the 2021 edition, which was postponed due to Covid-19. In my view, Cameroon is better prepared to stage the tournament now than it was two years ago because it has had more time to get ready.

Concerns over Cameroon’s ability to stage the tournament amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and to prevent a surge of new infections during the tournament came about because in the central African nation of 27 million people, just six percent of the population over the age of 18 has been fully vaccinated.

But CAF has made vaccination mandatory requirement for fans to enter the stadium, along with a negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before kick-off, or an antigen test up to 24 hours before kick-off.

Cameroon has also limited stadium attendances to 60 percent of capacity, which will only increase to 80 percent in matches involving the Indomitable Lions.

Gabon’s Aubameyang has tested positive for Covid-19 as have three members of Senegal’s squad, and a majority of Cape Verde’s delegation but these cases don’t warrant a cancellation of the tournament. 

The 2021 Afcon will be held in six stadiums in five Cameroonian cities. Slow uptake of Civid-19 vaccinations aside, Afcon does not present a greater Covid-19 risk than the delayed 2020 Uefa European Football Championship which was held in 11 European cities from June 11 to July 11 last year with fans attending the matches.

As we prepare to watch African stars on parade in Cameroon, spare a thought for Kenya. Gambia, ranked 148th in the world, and Indian Ocean islanders Comoros are making their debuts in the tournament.