Peruvian press reports that an appointment between the Minister of Health and the leader of southern football left conclusions about the pre-world game.
The match between Peru and Ecuador at the National Stadium in Lima, on February 1 in the framework of the South American qualifying round for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, will be played with the public, once it was agreed that way in an appointment with authorities, after initially the position of the Peruvian Ministry of Health was that there would be no spectators due to the advance of the omicron variant of COVID-19 in the southern country.
According to the sports portal Ovation, “Agustín Lozano, president of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), and Hernando Cevallos, Minister of Health, held a meeting (on Saturday) in which an agreement was reached for the match to take place with spectators” .
The conclusion, according to the media, was reached thanks to the fact that “Cevallos recognized the willingness of the FPF to enforce the required protocols”.
It was not determined what percentage of the capacity of the National Stadium will be enabled.
Last Wednesday it was learned that the game between Peruvians and Ecuadorians would be played without people in the stands, a firm decision “for now” and that was supported by the considerable increase in COVID-19 infections, said the Peruvian Minister of Health.
Decision on the Peru-Ecuador match for World Cup qualifiers in Lima, “for now”, is that it be played without an audience
The duel on the fifteenth day of the World Cup against La Tri, a team that is in third place in the qualifier and is close to securing a place in Qatar, is essential in the aspirations of the Peruvian national team to go to the next World Cup. The Bicolor is fifth in the standings, where he finds competition mainly in the teams of Colombia (4th), Chile (6th) and Uruguay (7th).
“We understand that it is crucial, but more crucial is that people do not die,” Cevallos declared. And he argued: “We have gone from 26,000 to 88,000 infections (after the December holidays). I love football, what am I going to do? I’m honest, it bothers me not seeing people in the stadium, but I have to keep the measures firm until the speed of the current wave slows down a bit”.
Before facing Ecuador, Peru has scheduled two friendly games this January at home against the teams of Panama (today) and Jamaica (Thursday 20).
The South American qualifiers grant four direct tickets to the FIFA World Cup and one for international repechage.
The tricolors and bicolors have already met on the road to Qatar 2022, in Quito on June 8, 2021, with a 2-1 win for coach Ricardo Gareca’s team. (D)
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