Mali is the latest African nation to suspend all sporting activities due to the continuous spread of the Coronavirus on the continent.
Although no cases of infection has been confirmed in the country, the authorities say it was a precautionary measure as the COVID-19 could be close since neighbouring countries like Ivory Coast, Guinea and Burkina Faso are already dealing with dozens of contamination, with one death already in Burkina Faso.
“Football, especially, is very important in our country, but the current global health crisis due to the Coronavirus has forced us to suspend all sports related activities in the country to prevent the risks of contamination,” the health and sports ministries announced in a joint statement late Wednesday.
The DR Congo set the pace last week by halting its leagues before a dozen other countries followed suit, including Morocco, Gabon, Mauritania, Senegal, Egypt, Rwanda, Guinea, Algeria, Ghana, South Africa, Libya, Botswana, Tunisia, Cote D’Ivoire, Congo, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Togo and Cameroon.
The Coronavirus has claimed close to 9000 lives around the world, with seven casualties in Algeria, while South Africa has the highest infection cases on the continent, 116.
