U-20 AFCON in Mauritania, a novel African tournament experience

ACCRA, March 12, 2021 - “Football without fans is not the same - that’s the new normal due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The fans play an integral part and it’s sometimes fun to see the raw emotions of supporters reacting to the games,” Gambian journalist Momodou Bah admits after covering the just-ended U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

African football tournaments are usually capped with fans draped in national team jerseys and regalia, lots of drumming, cheers and jeers. A new page opened with the U-20 AFCON tournament in Mauritania as the tournament was played behind closed doors unlike the CHAN where there were a limited number of fans.

Bah has penchant for covering tournaments on the African soil and was quick to highlight the differences in covering a tournament in Covid times. The days where journalists could hang around a team hotel hoping for an exclusive seems to be ebbing away as Bah notes.

“There used to be free access for the mixed zone for journalists to interview players and also at the team hotels but now it’s restricted.” A new procedure had been adopted to ensure safety of both players and journalists. Journalists were required to have a negative PCR test in order to have access to the mixed zone area, where they could do interviews. Photo journalists who are usually situated on the field of play were required to follow suit. The PCR test shouldn’t exceed the 72 hrs. mark in order to be valid for presentation to CAF officials. These safety protocols made it a bit more challenging for sports journalists to get the interviews they wanted.

The beauty of the game didn’t diminish, however, with debutant teams like Uganda and Central African Republic causing a stir at the tournament. Although Ghana edged Uganda 2-0 to win cup, the tournament will also be remembered for the strict Covid-19 protocols that ruled fans out of the stadium.

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