Johannesburg – The use of “dirty trick” tactics to intimidate and disadvantage visiting opposition teams in African football competitions is as old as the sport itself on the continent.
Coronavirus pandemic restrictions, barring visiting teams from “high-risk” countries, have become the order of the day in some parts of the continent, more so in north Africa, and are being used to disadvantage visiting clubs.
In a number of countries, even in the Uefa Champions League, visiting teams are granted waivers and special visas and permits to enter under strict Covid-19 health protocol regulations, play and immediately leave after the match.
In the CAF Champions League group stage, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns are the latest South African clubs to suffer from the restrictions and are being forced to play their away matches at neutral, alternative venues because of the host countries’ uncompromising Covid-19 pandemic entry restrictions.
On Friday, the SA Football Association (Safa) intervened, penning a strongly worded letter to CAF regarding the Covid-19 travel restrictions of South Africans to certain parts of the continent.
Chiefs and Sundowns have been left hanging over their Champions League schedules after the Moroccan and Algerian embassies refused to grant the South Africans visas to enter those countries.
Not mincing its words in the correspondence, Safa told CAF that none of its clubs and national teams will use neutral venues for their continental matches.
Safa said in the letter: “Following the resumption of football in the country for both international and domestic activities‚ we have never had a surge in the number of infections due to the strict health protocols in place that are in line with CAF Covid-19 health protocols.
“All our clubs/national teams will not use neutral venues‚ as there [are] no substantial health reasons to do so.
“We request that CAF should provide us any breach of their Covid-19 health protocols by both clubs and national teams.
“We request that CAF provide us with any research conducted regarding our Covid-19 situation in SA that would warrant alternatives at this stage as all countries have Covid-19 cases, with Morocco being second on the continent behind SA.
“Having hosted Sao Tome in an Afcon qualifier and a number of matches in the CAF championships without any health-related incidences‚ we urge CAF to apply rules and regulations where clubs or countries do not want to travel to SA or to allow SA in their countries.
Those clubs and countries must forfeit the matches in line with the CAF regulations.” Chiefs’ game against Wydad is set for Cairo on Sunday.
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