Just five days to the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to hold in Morocco, the Committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has cancelled the competition.
This decision was taken in what seems to be an emergency meeting of the committee members.
“The Committee was made aware of the constraints faced by some of the participating member associations as well as the host country,” a statement from Caf said.
“That includes the fact that the coronavirus pandemic continues to present significant challenges for the organization of international sporting events.
“Taking into account the cancellation by FIFA of the Under-17 World Cup for which the U-17 Nations Cup was no longer qualifying, the Committee further noted:
The resurgence of the Covid19 pandemic has increased restrictions on international travels.
“For all these reasons, the Committee decided to cancel the 2021 edition of the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations.”
A total of 11 teams had qualified for this year Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations and some countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Ivory Coast and Senegal had already arrived in Morocco to prepare for the tournament.
On Saturday, the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations ended in neighbouring Mauritania with Ghana emerging as the winner.