The key occasions of African sport in 2022

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The 12 months 2022 guarantees to be wealthy in sporting occasions for the African continent. The African Cup of Nations (CAN) and the FIFA World Cup are the 2 most anticipated competitions. It’ll even be essential to observe the Ladies’s CAN, the African Athletics Championships and the Handball CAN, even when the dates of the latter haven’t but been fastened. Evaluation of the primary conferences.

• African Cup of Nations Soccer (Cameroon, January 9 to February 6)

Cameroon ought to have organized the CAN in 2019. However confronted with the buildup of delays on the development websites of the competitors websites, the African Soccer Confederation (CAF) had deemed it extra prudent to entrust it to Egypt. The nation, which solely hosted the Cup as soon as, in 1972, has been singled out a number of occasions for failing to make the most of the additional time to finish the work.

The match, imagined to be held in 2021, has nevertheless been postponed to 2022 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rumors of a potential relocation to Qatar, then of a cancellation because of the risk of the Omicron variant and stress from European golf equipment, hardly inclined to launch their African gamers in the course of the season, have even circulated, forcing the African Soccer Confederation (CAF) to disclaim.

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All the key African alternatives, besides the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa, can be current. Algeria, title holders, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Egypt and Cameroon, by no means as harmful as when you don’t count on it, are the primary contenders in a contest which is able to see the Comoros and the Gambia make their large debut and Malawi, Sudan and Sierra Leone make their comeback after a number of years of absence.

• African Handball Cup (Morocco, date to be decided)

The African Handball Cup ought to have taken place in Morocco from January 13 to 22, within the Moroccan cities of Laâyoune and Guelmim. However on December 10, the African Handball Confederation (CAH) introduced the postponement of the competitors, with out specifying the schedule. This resolution, contested by Morocco, was taken following appeals filed by sure federations after the draw for the ultimate part.

Sixteen alternatives are certified. Algeria, for its half, determined to boycott the match to protest towards the group of matches in Laâyoune, the primary metropolis of Western Sahara, due to the diplomatic battle between it and Morocco over this area. Egypt, defending champion, Tunisia, which holds the report for victories within the closing part (10), Morocco and Angola are the primary candidates for the continental coronation.

• African Athletics Championships (Mauritius, June 8 to 12)

For the third time in its historical past, Mauritius will host the African Athletics Championships, after 1992 and 2006, on the Côte d’Or sports activities advanced in Saint-Pierre. A web site that hosted occasions through the Indian Ocean Islands Video games in 2019. The designation of Mauritius got here after a collection of cancellations: the 2020 version, scheduled for Oran, had been postponed by one 12 months, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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A relocation of the championships had been thought of in Algiers, then in Lagos (Nigeria), earlier than being lastly canceled. The 2022 version, initially promised to Cameroon – too busy making ready for the CAN soccer – has lastly been entrusted to Mauritius. The complete listing of athletes can be identified as soon as the qualifying phases have been accomplished.

• African Ladies’s Soccer Cup (Morocco, July 2 to 23)

Morocco, because the host nation, is for the second the one choice assured to take part within the 2022 girls’s CAN, which is able to happen for the primary time with twelve groups. Canceled in 2020 on account of Covid-19, the ladies’s CAN will make a comeback after 4 years of absence.

Defending Nigeria should get rid of Côte d’Ivoire within the final qualifying spherical in February to hope to defend their trophy. Cameroon, South Africa, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal and Mali, used to the ultimate phases, will even attempt to validate their presence in Morocco. The winner, the finalist and the 2 semi-finalists of this CAN 2022 will straight qualify for the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup, which is able to happen in Australia and New Zealand.

• FIFA World Cup (Qatar, November 21 to December 18)

Africa will know in March the names of the 5 alternatives that may signify it in Qatar. Ten are nonetheless within the race (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal). Aside from Mali, all of them have already participated no less than as soon as within the World Cup.

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The draw for the third spherical will happen on January 26. The seeds are anticipated to be Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Nigeria or Egypt, relying on the standing of the Worldwide Soccer Federation standings simply earlier than the draw.

Alexis Billebault