Caf does not postpone the decisive match for the Can 2024 qualifiers: it will be played on a neutral pitch as Gambia does not have an approved stadium. The shocked players spent the night by the pool
The show must go on. But there is a limit to everything. In fact, the decision of Caf, the African football federation, to play the match between Congo and Gambia scheduled for Sunday in Marrakech (Morocco), a city hit on Friday evening by a violent earthquake which caused over a thousand deaths, seems absurd. However, the match between Morocco and Liberia which should have been played in Agadir on Saturday afternoon has been postponed (probably will be canceled given that it was irrelevant for the final group standings).
poolside
—
The teams from Congo and Gambia spent the night sleeping by the pools of their respective hotels after the earthquake. Coaches of both teams said their players were traumatized but were told to go ahead and play the game. Sunday’s match, decisive for Group G, between Gambia and Congo will be played in Marrakech because Gambia does not have a stadium suitable for hosting international matches. Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet commented: “We have been told that our match on Sunday has to be played. It is rather strange that Morocco’s match was cancelled, while ours was not. We have been outdoors for around 13- 14 hours. The hotel is damaged, but we hope to be able to find new rooms somewhere else. But we think it is better to postpone this match because the mood of the players is understandably gloomy and everyone is a bit scared.” Congo coach Paul Put said his players were unharmed. “We’re fine, but we’re still in shock. Mentally it’s difficult to maintain concentration. We had to sleep outside, near the pool. It was really scary and even now the situation is complicated for the players.” Caf instead reiterated that the match will be played regularly.
situation
—
The second place up for grabs in group G, won by Mali (Gambia only needs a draw, Congo must win to advance), is one of the three that still remain to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations which will be held in the Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11, 2024. The other two will come out of Tuesday’s Cameroon-Burundi match. The Indomitable Lions need a success to pass together with Namibia. In the event of a draw, Burundi and Namibia would advance, unless a sensational 4-4 draw would qualify both teams to play in Garoua. These are the national teams already in Côte d’Ivoire: Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Egypt, Guinea, Ghana, Angola, Algeria, Tanzania, Mali, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tunisia , Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal and Mozambique.