While Syria and the Philippines have stepped up their efforts to bring in naturalized players in the midst of intense preparations, our other two opponents, Guam and the Maldives, have seen their preparations almost come to a standstill. Guam has just gone through a coaching change, with Korean coach Seo Dong-won replacing Karl Dodd, but the situation is not optimistic; Maldives' situation may be even more difficult.
Currently, the Maldives is facing the challenge of the Indian variant of the virus, and the outbreak has worsened dramatically due to the influx of carriers, with a surge in new cases on a single day of over 1,500 per day, 15 times the number of cases a month ago. In response to the outbreak, the Maldives has imposed a strict 14-day quarantine policy on arrivals from India and across South Asia. It is evident that the situation of the epidemic in the country is grim. The AFC announced on May 9 that the group stage of the AFC Cup scheduled to be held in the Maldives has been postponed indefinitely, while the league tournament, which has only resumed to the 14th round, has also been forced to be suspended. This poses a huge challenge to the Maldives national team's preparations for the tournament, and also puts pressure on our country's 40-team tournament to prevent the epidemic.
Despite the widespread vaccination of the Maldivian soccer community, the effectiveness of the Indian-made COVAX vaccine used, which is not on the WHO approved list, is in doubt. In addition, the effectiveness of the vaccine against the current outbreak of the Indian double mutated virus in the Maldives is also unknown.
The CFA needs to urgently discuss with the Maldives Football Association and the AFC to ensure that all members of the Maldives delegation to China are vaccinated with vaccines that have been recognized by WHO and have a negative nucleic acid test report within 72 hours. Upon entry, members will also be required to undergo in situ nucleic acid testing and quarantine. Given the development of the epidemic, there is a possibility that the Maldives national team may follow the example of North Korea and forgo participation in the 40-team tournament. The CFA needs to pay close attention to the trend of the epidemic in the Maldives, adjust the epidemic prevention and preparation plan in a timely manner, and make all preparations.
