2021 Africa Cup of Nations march qualifies postponed

In a statement on Friday, Caf said the 48 matches scheduled to run between 25-31 March have been until further notice even though only a few cases have been reported on the continent.

“Several players, who are supposed to play the next Afcon qualifiers, come from countries which have been severely affected by the virus (in) Europe and Asia,” Caf wrote to member associations.

Caf also explained that many African governments have imposed strong travel restrictions, which require 14 days of quarantine, on those arriving from Europe.

At present, at least 18 African nations have reported cases of coronavirus.

To prevent one life means more than any matchesMilutin ‘Micho’ SredojevicZambia coach

Meanwhile, some European clubs – particularly those in Italy, which is in lockdown because of the outbreak – are reluctant to release players because of the virus.

Caf had previously said it would “maintain its schedule” until an African country was declared high-risk. ??bbc???