The Confederation of African Football has released a communique on number of substitutions and Minimum number of players in case of positive COVID19 tests ahead of TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 kickoff.
According to CAF, they will apply the five substitutions per match rule during the competition on the number of substitute players per match.
These are the reasons:
- Each team will be permitted to use a maximum of five substitutes.
- To reduce disruption to the match, each team will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the game; substitutions may also be made at half-time.
- If both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as one of the three opportunities for each team.
- Unused substitutions and opportunities are carried forward into extra time.
- Where extra time is played, teams will each be allowed one additional substitution, and will have one additional substitution opportunity; substitutions may also be made before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time.
Based on the minimum number of players in case of a team affected by COVID-19, CAF added:
- If the result of the Covid-19 PCR test of any player is positive, such player will not be authorized to go to the stadium or participate in the applicable match.
- A team will be required to play a match if they have a minimum of eleven (11) players available who have tested negative. In the event of the absence of a goalkeeper, another player from the team must replace the goalkeeper, provided the total number of available players is at least eleven.
- A team that does not have a minimum of eleven (11) players available will be considered to have lost the match 0-2.
- In exceptional cases, the Organizing Committee of the Africa Cup of Nations will take the appropriate decision.
AFCON hosts, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and the Stallions of Burkina Faso will kick-off the 33rd edition of Africa’s flagship competition when they lock horns at the totally new Olembe Stadium in Cameroon capital Yaoundé on Sunday, 9 January 2022.
