#Sports

Afcon 2021: Scorpions coach says decision can be taken even without completing qualifiers

Jun 17, 2020, 1:12 PM | Article By: Arfang M.S. Camara

Scorpions senior national team coach, Tom Saintfiet said the Confederation of African Football (CAF) can take a decision even without fully completing the Afcon qualifiers.

He said although the priority is to play all the remaining Afcon qualifiers games, if there is no solution then the last result should be the top two teams to qualify for the tournament proper.

The Belgian coach made these remarks in an interview with Afri Radio yesterday on the decision to the suspension of the CAF qualifiers. “If there will not any possible mean to continue the Afcon qualifiers, then the last result should be for the two top teams in each group to qualify. Although the priority will be to play all the remaining games of the Afcon qualifiers games for the top two teams to qualify,” he stated.

He added that a lot of leagues in the world have cancelled their competition because of the coronavirus pandemic and local federations decided that the top two teams represents their country in the CAF champions league and the confederation or UEFA champions league and Europa league respectively.

Tom also noted that even though CAF has not yet taken a final decision, it is important that such big tournament like Africa Cup of Nations is not cancel. “I cannot imagine that the European Championships, World Cup or the Gold Cup in America will be canceled just because of coronavirus. There is always a solution, but in the event their isn’t one, the top two in the current ranking should qualify,” he said.

He added: “Most of the big countries in the Afcon qualifiers are currently number one and two positions in the current ranking. So it would be a big Afcon tournament because all the big nations would be qualifying.”

Meanwhile, The Gambia is currently top of group D of the Afcon qualifiers with 4 points leveling with Gabon followed by DR Congo and Angola.