Football lovers who will be attending matches at next month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon will be mandated to show evidence of vaccination and present a negative Covid-19 test result, officials announced Thursday.
The announcement was made in a joint press release signed by Cameroon’s ministers for sport and health as well as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) general secretary.
Meanwhile, this is coming at a time of growing fear and speculation that the tournament could be suspended or shifted again.
The statement read, “Fans will not be able to get into the stadiums… unless they are fully vaccinated and show a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours or a negative antigen test of less than 24 hours,” the document said.
“Despite this additional challenge posed by this pandemic, our Cup of Nations must now take place,” it added.
However, the opening ceremony for the 24-team competition is due to be held at the Olembé Stadium in Yaoundé on January 9 ahead of the first game between hosts Cameroon and Burkina Faso.