FIFA President Gianni Infantino was on a two-day visit to Cameroon, where he met with dignitaries of the country and high officials of the African Football Confederation CAF and the Cameroonian Football Association Fecafoot. The trip took place on the occasion of the start of the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), which will be held from January 16 to February 7 in three Cameroonian cities.
The FIFA President was received for a private talk in Yaoundé at the Palace of Unity by Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon. He then took part in a ceremony at which Issa Hayatou was awarded the title of CAF Honorary President. Hayatou was President of the African Continental Union from 1988 to 2017.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino was at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde this afternoon for the opening ceremony and game of the @caf_online # TotalCHAN2020.
Hosts @FecafootOfficie began with a 1-0 win over @online_zifa. #CMRZIM pic.twitter.com/K8wcSuA8z0
– FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) January 16, 2021
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“I had the pleasure of providing President Biya with updated information on FIFA’s role in supporting football, not just here in Cameroon but across Africa and globally,” said the FIFA President, speaking at the CAF President’s meeting Constant Omari was accompanied. During his visit to Yaoundé, the FIFA President later met with Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Ngute.
“It was important to show FIFA’s support for football in Cameroon and on the African continent, especially on the occasion of the African Nations Cup, the first international tournament in 2021 to allow spectators – with the specially developed, of course Protective measures, “said the FIFA President. “It is an important message that football is restarting in Africa, especially in a football-loving country like Cameroon.”
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Delighted to meet with Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA before the start of the 6th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
We discussed overall development of football in Cameroon and the world.#PaulBiya# TotalCHAN2020#Cameroon pic.twitter.com/n0z4DWqbBO– President Paul BIYA (@PR_Paul_BIYA) January 15, 2021
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Before leaving, Gianni Infantino attended the opening ceremony and the opening game of the CHAN finals at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, where hosts Cameroon narrowly beat Zimbabwe. 16 national teams take part in the sixth edition of the CAF African Nations Championship, a biennial tournament in which only players from the respective domestic leagues are allowed to participate.
The event is also financially supported by FIFA, because since October 2020 the CAF has been using funds from the FIFA COVID relief fund (USD 2 million) to get its competitions going again. The medical protective measures, the flights and the accommodation of the match officials at CHAN are financed by these funds.
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