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Caf sets terms for football return

Sport
THE Confederation of African Football (Caf) has released guidelines and a raft of recommendations for football activities to resume on the continent.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

THE Confederation of African Football (Caf) has released guidelines and a raft of recommendations for football activities to resume on the continent.

The Castle Lager Premier Soccer League was suspended in March owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and Zifa has tentatively set August/September for the start of football activities pending endorsement by the government.

A 27-page document from Caf was drafted by the continental body’s medical committee together with the technical and development department and is meant to guide member associations on the restart of football activities.

Caf acting general secretary Abdelmounaim Bah said the document provided enough information for football activities to resume upon getting the nod from responsible country authorities.

Following developments in the spread and control of COVID-19 across the continent and the rest of the world, series of meetings have been held regarding the future of competitions.

“This comprehensive document is a major step towards resuming football on the continent. Based on recent developments, it is important we have a plan in place to guide our stakeholders on the return of continental and domestic competitions and the need for an all hands on deck approach,” Bah said.

He added: “Many considerations were factored into the putting together of the document by our team of experts notably the specificities of the continent. Together with strategies established by local authorities, it provides the member associations with adequate information to resume operations upon receiving the green light.”

The document emphasises the health of players and officials including fans and other stakeholders.

It also emphasises the need for continuous medical assessment of players and officials, disinfection of facilities as well as religious adherence to global preventive protocols.

Caf says there is need to ensure that players’ salaries are favourable for any resumption of activities.

The PSL sports medicine committee is currently engaged in coming up with protocols and procedures to be adhered to by all clubs during competitions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.