Hands up: Outfield player to play as goalie at African Cup

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Watch this house.

The Comoros soccer group has been giving one among its outfield gamers a crash course in guarding its aim on the African Cup of Nations after accidents and optimistic coronavirus assessments left it with out a goalkeeper for the most important sport in its historical past.

The state of affairs is so delicate — and unprecedented — that Comoros hasn’t but recognized the participant chosen to attempt to preserve out high-scoring Cameroon of their round-of-16 sport on Monday at Africa’s most prestigious match.

On the brilliant aspect for Comoros, the chosen participant has proven some potential within the place.

“We’ve already chosen an outfield participant who will begin as keeper,” Comoros assistant coach Daniel Padovanni mentioned. “It’s a participant who in coaching has proven that he can play as a ‘keeper.”

No. 1 goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina is injured and Comoros’ two reserve keepers are amongst 12 gamers and training workers members who examined optimistic for the virus.

Comoros is enjoying in its first main match and the tiny Indian Ocean island nation shocked everybody by qualifying for the knockout stage on its debut. It beat four-time champion Ghana on the best way to turn into one of many tales of the African soccer championship.

Nevertheless it now faces an enormous problem towards Cameroon, which scored seven targets towards common goalkeepers in its three group video games, greater than anybody else.

Comoros is within the awkward place due to guidelines launched by the African soccer confederation forward of the beginning of the match to make sure the schedule isn’t ruined by virus outbreaks in squads.

Nearly each group in Cameroon has had optimistic instances in the course of the match.

Comoros' Younn Zahary,left, defends towards Morocco's Achraf Hakimi,center, because the teammate goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina collects the ball in the course of the African Cup of Nations 2022 group C soccer match between Morocco and Comoros on the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.

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Within the guidelines, groups should play a sport if they've a minimal of 11 gamers match and wholesome, even when there aren't any goalkeepers out there. One other participant should fill in.

Comoros coach Amir Abdou was amongst those that examined optimistic, which means the group can be set to be with out him on the sidelines towards Cameroon.

Will probably be the primary time an outfield participant will begin as a goalkeeper at a significant worldwide match. Gamers have beforehand needed to fill in as goalkeeper throughout matches, together with as soon as already at this match.

Ivory Coast defender and captain Serge Aurier briefly needed to throw on a goalkeeper jersey and gloves close to the tip of a gaggle sport towards Sierra Leone after goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangaré was taken off injured and Ivory Coast had used up all its substitutions.

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