COVID-19 considerations and strategy for a safe return to international football competitions: an African perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of life worldwide—educational, economic, cultural, social and sporting.1 To limit the spread of COVID-19, initial containment strategies included proper mask wearing, respiratory and hand hygiene, social/physical distancing and different levels of lockdown to limit social interaction.2 While competitive sport has also been impacted by these measures, risk mitigation protocols have allowed competitions at the national, international and professional levels to resume in some countries around the world.3–5 However, additional barriers exist on the African continent to safely resume sport that may not exist elsewhere. These include cost and resource limitations to facilitate player and staff education, safe team transport, hotel and club sanitisation, regular COVID-19 PCR testing with short result turnaround times and access to vaccinations.6 7 This commentary outlines practical recommendations for a scientifically valid COVID-19 risk mitigating strategy to enhance safety for teams and spectators at African football competitions that accommodate regional challenges. ### Design a guideline The success of COVID-19 prevention during football competitions must involve a scientifically based risk mitigation plan that can evolve as new evidence and interventions emerge. This plan must be accepted by all stakeholders, including stadium management, National Federations, and executive committees of leagues and individual teams. A well-designed guideline on COVID-19 risk mitigation should be practical, concise and consider the following8: