African World Cup Qualifiers Delayed, Moroccan Clubs Welcome Extra Time to Finish Season

The news of the postponement decided by the CAF Emergency Committee, in consultation with FIFA, is very well received by the Moroccan clubs engaged in the Botola, as this shift will allow them to complete the 2021 national championship season scheduled for mid-July, reveals Assabah.

The two football bodies justify this decision by the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to the various African federations, and decide to postpone the qualifying matches to September for the first and second rounds. According to the new detailed calendar reported by the daily, the third and fourth round matches will be played in October 2021 and the fifth and sixth rounds in November 2022. The qualification matches will have to start in March 2022 for the last qualifying rounds, after the CAN Cameroon from February 9 to 6, 2022.

In this context, the Atlas Lions will face Sudan and Guinea Conakry in September, and follow up with a double confrontation against Guinea-Bissau before ending the group stage by facing Sudan and Guinea at home.

In March, the 10 nations that finish top of their groups (10) will play knockout matches to qualify for the World Cup.