Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
EYEBROWS have been raised over the rising Covid-19 positive cases in every team that plays hosts Cameroon in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals, which even saw one team using an outfield player as a goalkeeper.
Afcon debutants Comoros were forced to use their left-back in goals in their round of 16 clash in Yaoundé on Monday after two of their goalkeepers Moyadh Ousswnini and Ali Ahamada tested positive for Covid-19, while their third goalie Salim Ben Boina was out through injury.
Comoros, who eventually succumbed 1-2, had 12 positive cases.
Suspicions of results manipulation started before the opening match of the tournament pitting Cameroon and Burkina Faso, with the Stallions’ skipper Bertrand Traore saying the whole process was a huge scandal after five of their players, including coach Kamou Malo, tested positive on the eve of the opener.
“It’s a scandal, we cannot be deprived of first team players 24 hours before the match,” the Aston Villa forward told the media at a press conference ahead of their opener.
Assistant coach Firmin Sanou weighed in saying: “We have four or five Covid cases, mainly first team players. We’re not going to name names; it calls everything into question.”
The situation was made even more suspicious when a medical team arrived at the team’s hotel for tests only for Caf to distance themselves from the medical team.
After their opener, the Indomitable Lions met and beat Ethiopia 4-1. Ethiopia were missing eight players due to positive cases.
Cape Verde were next and they had two positive cases. In the round of 16 on Monday, Comoros found themselves without 12 players. Caf rules and regulations of the tournament with particular regards to the Covid-19 situation state that as long as a team has 11 players returning a negative result, the match has to go ahead.
Online Reporter