Sheesh, I hope there are no more changes. I just changed my flight and hotel bookings for Switzerland-Turkey in Baku.
The 2021 AFCON has been postponed to January 2022: https://www.goal.com/en/news/africa-cup-of-nations-postponed-until-2022/9fqbqoiir95q1fzbtylm9czuc
I guess I can't say that I'm surprised really but it would have just made more sense to move the tournament to summer 2021 but then strip Cameroon again and give the tournament to another host like what they did with Egypt
2021 African Cup of Nations being moved to 2023 would have been problematic because the AFCON is every 2 years and 2023 there is already an AFCON in place so you could not have 2 AFCONs in the same year
They could've moved everything two years forward. This way once again (if no corona or corona-like problems happen) we will have three CANs in four years (2022, 23, 25). At least we would've gotten to see what four years between two CAN tournaments look like.
Tournaments are based on ending a certain day of the week. World Cups and many other tournaments end on Sundays. If there isn't a leap year in between, a date gets one day later in the week. July 12 was Sunday (yesterday) and will be Monday in 2021. That's why it will end Sunday July 11, 2021.
Of all confederations based on their process CAF is in the best shape because they only need 8 matchdays to finish quaifying. However, with difficult travel CAF only utilizes 1 matchday per international break. Saying that even if we get no international matches and CAF doesn't use the likely to be added January international break for WCQ for obvious reasons they can still pull off full qualifying. March 2021 - Matchday 1 June 2021 - Matchday 2 September 2021 - Matchday 3 October 2021 - Matchday 4 November 2021 - Matchday 5 March 2022 - Matchday 6 June 2022 - CAF two legged playoffs (this would coincide with intercontinental playoffs which has been pushed to these dates)
Worst case scenario is even "easier" - you could play the whole thing in 10/11 days. Just draw the 2nd round pairings (which group winners play) and centralise each pair of groups as single (rather than double) round robins in one spot (or close enough) and play the groups Day 1/2 - Day 4/5 - Day 7/8. Day 11 play the two group winners against each other. Not "fair" in terms of home advantage/single bad call could eliminate you etc, but if it's September 2022 and you can finally play then at least we would get a result. J
Exactly. CAF getting quaifying is in better shape than everone because of their format and where they are in the process.
https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/south-american-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-to-begin-in-october says CONMEBOL will start WCQs in October, and they asked FIFA for an extra pair of games in January 2022 so they can finish in March 2022. FIFA says the FIFA Council will decide when they meet.
supposedly non UEFA teams will play friendlies in the September window because Nigeria is in negotiations to play a friendly against a South american team in Portugal.
Considering situation there, they might start by playing in NBA-like bubble or somewhere in Europe. I hate the fact that all of them act like there is no way to alter formats and downsize the number of matches, it is like carved in stone and no one can change it. CONMEBOL acts like they MUST PLAY 18 MATCHES. If they don't, the world will colapse. Split it in two groups and use 10 matchdays, for Gods sake. It is the extraordinary situation and all football heads should act that way.
I imagine the much stronger motivation for completing fixture as they are is doing everything possible to avoid renegotiating - or worse, litigating - those juicy TV contracts.
The other way to look at it is, as long as there is still enough time to play those 18 matches, no need to resort to a plan that isn't as good. I would hate for them to commit to a 10 matchday plan and then see Argentina try to recoup some money by arranging for a home-and-away two legged friendly series against Brazil this Fall or something like that.
I agree, but it seems like they do not have enough time as they are looking for additional matchdays in FIFA calendar. If this is their way to get more matchdays to get a few cash-flow friendlies, then I hope FIFA will reject it.
There are rumors of an October 12th friendly for the United States against Thailand. England scheduled friendly October 8th against Wales as well as Nations League matches October 11th and 14th against Belgium and Denmark. Anyone else hear of anything scheduled?
Pretty sure UEFA is going ahead with the Nations League in September actually. I’m guessing you’re an England fan, England is playing Iceland and Denmark in September in the Nations League.
Nope not an England fan, but like watching this particular crop of players they have coming through play.
Oh lol, I just assumed that you were an England fan because you seemed like a big fan of an England WC bid in the 2030 WC hosts thread. Anyhoo as I said UEFA is going through with Nations League in September, so there's that. I believe CONMEBOL may be playing friendlies in that window and the others are starting up again in October.
Heard a rumor the United States will be playing away friendlies in October against South Korea and Japan.
Announced changes today: https://www.fifa.com/who-we-are/new...l-match-calendars-due-to-the-covid-19-pandemi
Wait...is that from today? Since the article's from August 18 EDIT: Ah, I see: today, the FIFA Council approved the above.