This archive report was first published on 11 October 2021.
South Africa has taken a significant step towards normalcy by easing Covid-19 crowd restrictions for a World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Ethiopia. The match, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on Tuesday, will now allow a maximum of 2,000 spectators to attend.
According to a statement from the national football association, the government has approved the limited return of spectators to the stadium. This move comes after a long period of empty stadiums, which was enforced in March 2020 as the first wave of the coronavirus hit the country.
The lack of spectators had a severe impact on the country's sports industry, particularly on cricket, football, and rugby, which are the most popular sports in South Africa. The country has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, with 2.91 million official cases and 88,317 deaths by Sunday.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the national team has been enjoying a resurgence in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, leading more fancied Ghana by one point halfway through a six-round mini-league.
