Teams participating in the African Cup of Nations must play their matches if at least 11 of their players have tested negative for COVID-19, tournament organizers said.
If there is no goalkeeper on the team, an outfield player will have to play in goal, according to guidelines issued by the Confederation of African Football.
“A team that does not have a minimum of 11 players available will be considered to have lost the match 0-2,” the federation said in a statement Saturday. “In exceptional cases, the organizing committee of the African Cup of Nations will take the appropriate decision.”
Organizers said teams will be allowed to make five substitutions per game and one additional substitution if a game goes into extra time.
A number of teams preparing for the CAN have reported positive cases of COVID-19, including some of the tournament favorites, such as Algeria, Ivory Coast and Morocco.
