As on the rest of the planet, African sport is at a standstill. In this context, the president of the African Football Confederation (CAF), Ahmad Ahmad, at the head of this organization since 2017, decided to leave Ethiopia to return to Mahajanga, north-west of Madagascar, the city whose He his from. From there, this discreet, reputed to be a network man, very political, continues to manage the CAF, in permanent contact with its general secretariat. This bracketing of visible activities does not prevent it from increasing exchanges with the presidents of federations.
Because, for African football, the hour is serious. And if training has lasted longer on this continent than elsewhere, if continental football has been slow to take the measure of the global pandemic, life has also stopped in this important sector, leaving the suspense hanging over some big competitions to come up.
As a concerned citizen, Ahmad Ahmad devotes part of his time to helping the local Malagasy authorities to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, which is no longer sparing Madagascar. The man previously held a ministerial portfolio on the Big Island.
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Football is today largely impacted by the coronavirus crisis which affects one after the other almost all the countries of Africa …
Ahmad Ahmad The sport is indeed stopped. Even if, in this very difficult period, football takes second place in the face of the magnitude of this health crisis. Still, in our discipline, we had to make certain necessary decisions. First, the medical committee at CAF made its analyzes and, more generally, we follow the instructions of the World Health Organization (WHO).
We had decided to postpone the CAN 2021 qualifying matches, scheduled for the end of March. Federations asked us to do so and, in any case, with the suspension of numerous air links, African players confined to Europe, this decision was self-imposed. We will wait for the rest to know when will be played on days three and four of the competition.
The fifth day was scheduled for June, it is still too early to decide if it will take place, but we still have dates in September, October and November, even if it means postponing the first day of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, scheduled precisely in November. We will discuss this with FIFA, which seems open to the various adjustments to the calendar. As I speak, the final phase of CAN 2021 is still scheduled for next January and February.
What can you tell us today about the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2020), originally scheduled for Cameroon from April 4 to 25, and which has of course been postponed. Will it take place?
Our desire is to play all competitions including, of course, the African Nations Championship. It is obviously far too early to decide when in 2020 or 2021. The only thing that seems obvious is that CHAN will not be able to take place in Cameroon in June and July, due to weather conditions.
Europe has suspended the Champions League and the Europa League. In Africa, are we moving towards the same decision for the Champions League and the Confederation Cup, whose semi-finals and finals were initially scheduled for May?
This is obviously part of the assumptions. The semi-finals are scheduled for early May. We will adapt according to the health situation. If we need to change the schedule, we will. Almost every day, I interact with the general secretariat of CAF, with the federations. In any case, we will be able to adapt.
In Africa, Burundi has decided to maintain its championship, with the public. Does this appeal to you?
There are officially no cases of coronavirus in Burundi. This decision to play the championship normally belongs to the Burundian federation and the State. I stand by that. CAF has no power to intervene. In the other countries, the championships have been suspended or are being played behind closed doors.
Does the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics, in which African teams were to participate, seem logical to you?
Of course. I do not see how it could be otherwise. I am even surprised that this decision came so late (March 24). I still remember some criticisms addressed to CAF, concerning the question of qualifying matches for CAN or CHAN, that we had taken too long to announce their postponement. On the contrary, I believe that we acted quickly, taking into account all the information we had.
African football seems to mobilize every day a little more to fight against this epidemic …
Many presidents of federations are involved. This is also the case for their administrative staff, particularly in the area of prevention. I also learned that players had given money, like the Senegalese Sadio Mané who offered 45,000 euros to hospitals in his country. Others are multiplying messages to advise people to stay at home. All these initiatives are remarkable, I am proud of this mobilization of African football.
The coronavirus arrived late in Madagascar. What is the state of the epidemic today?
Thirty positive cases have already been identified and the authorities have taken action. A state of health emergency has been established, which includes the ban on assemblies. In addition, containment measures are also in force that reduce travel between cities, crowds on the streets.
Still, confinement is difficult for many Malagasy people who have neither food reserves nor money on hand. Many live from day to day, thanks to small jobs, as in many African countries elsewhere. So I help the authorities in my town to raise awareness about the precautions to take, especially hygiene.
Are you worried about your country in particular and Africa in general?
We see what is happening in Europe, especially in Italy, Spain and France. The situation is serious there, whereas most European countries are much better equipped medically. Obviously, if the same thing happened in Africa as in Europe, the situation would be catastrophic because the level of healthcare equipment is lower. But I'm trying to be optimistic: Africans sometimes resist certain epidemics.
