CAF Rejects Equatorial Guinea's Stadium Switch

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected Equatorial Guinea's last-minute attempt to relocate their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Zimbabwe from Cameroon to Bata, meaning the match will go ahead in Yaounde as originally scheduled.

Equatorial Guinea had been forced to host the first leg at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde after its home stadiums failed to meet CAF's required standards.

However, following the temporary approval of Bata Stadium, the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation made a late request to have the match moved back home in a bid to benefit from home support.

CAF turned down the request, citing regulations requiring stadiums to be approved and confirmed at least two months before matchday. The requirement allows sufficient time for fixtures to be published and for teams, broadcasters and match officials to organise their travel and other logistical arrangements.

With Bata Stadium receiving approval after the deadline, CAF ruled that relocating the fixture would require written consent from Zimbabwe. However, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) did not grant permission, effectively ending Equatorial Guinea's hopes of returning the match to home soil.

In a statement released by the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation, CAF explained that the late change could not be approved without Zimbabwe's consent.

“Due to the proximity of the match date, organizing the game in Bata necessarily required the consent of the visiting team, Zimbabwe. However, as this consent was not obtained, CAF has determined that the match cannot be held at the Bata Stadium,” the statement read.

The decision means the Warriors will face Equatorial Guinea at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on Thursday, November 12, with kick-off scheduled for 6pm.

Zimbabwe will then host the return leg on Monday, November 16, at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, with kick-off set for 3pm.