This archive report was first published on 4 May 2021.
May 4, 2021 - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced plans to postpone the first two days of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers for Africa, citing a lack of stadium approvals in several countries.
According to sources within African football, the delay is necessary because 22 out of 54 member countries lack CAF-approved stadiums. This means that countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, which were finalists in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, will not be able to host their home matches in June.
CAF's emergency committee validated the decision on Monday, May 3, and the executive committee is expected to confirm it on May 15. The six qualifying matchdays will be staggered over September, October, and November.
The play-offs, which were initially scheduled to take place in June, will now occur in March 2022, after the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. The tournament was initially scheduled for 2021 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
