AFCON: 23 teams qualified as COVID-19 delays Benin, S’Leone’s battle for last slot

All but one of the 24 slots for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have been confirmed, with the decider between Benin Republic and Sierra Leone being delayed.

The tournament initially billed to hold this year was postponed to January 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be hosted in Cameroon.

The Super Eagles clinched their ticket for the championship last weekend, as results went their way in Group L.

The other ticket of the group is yet to be clinched as Benin Republic’s final group clash with the Leone stars is being delayed in Freetown over some COVID-19 row.

The game billed for Tuesday did not hold after local authorities declared at least five of their players to have tested positive for Covid-19.

Read Also: Osimhen, Etebo, Onuachu score as Nigeria end AFCONQ campaign with big Lesotho win

Benin’s players initially would not leave the team bus after being told the players who had tested positive were ineligible for the crucial Group L match.

Benin are on seven points while Sierra Leone are on three points. The Squirrels need at least a draw to scale through while the Leone stars are in need of an outright victory.

According to reports, talks between Sierra Leone, Benin and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) failed to resolve the standoff as both squads remained in their hotels.

Meanwhile, below are the list of 23 teams that have qualified for the Cameroon tournament next year:

Gambia, Ghana, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Ethiopia and hosts Cameroon.

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