Carlos Mureithi

The African Cup of Nations (Afcon), the continent’s biggest and most prestigious international soccer tournament, kicks off in Cameroon on Jan. 9. But just like any other major global event these days, covid-19 threatens to cast a shadow, as numerous players and team officials test positive for the disease.

At least seven national teams have been affected, with some players and staff testing positive in Cameroon, and others before arriving in the country and therefore being left behind for isolation. The four-week tournament, featuring superstars like Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, was originally set to take place in 2021.

Last month, Europe’s top soccer teams threatened to prevent their players (like Salah) from participating in the tournament due to fears over the competition’s covid-19 health protocols.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), organizers of Afcon, has announced safety measures to be followed by players, staff, officials, and fans. Attendances will be capped at 80% for matches involving Cameroon and, for an unspecified reason, 60% for all others; more staff and equipment will be deployed to entry points, lodging facilities, competition sites, and fan zones; and to access stadiums, people will have to be vaccinated and do rapid tests every 24 hours, or a PCR test every two days.

The 24 national teams participating in the tournament were allowed to increase their squads from the standard 23 players to 28, in case of positive tests.

Here are some of the countries and players that are facing disruptions due to covid-19 ahead of the competition.

Gabon

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Lemina are two of the latest players to test positive for covid-19. They tested positive on arrival in Cameroon . They are likely to miss out on their country’s opening match against Comoros on Jan. 10. Assistant coach Yala Anicet also tested positive.

Senegal

Senegal delayed its flight to Cameroon as six players and three members of staff tested positive. The players include Nampalys Mendy, Pape Sarr, and Mame Thiam.

Burkina Faso

Players Issoufou Dayo, Dramane Nikiema, and Kylian Nikiema are isolating in Abu Dhabi after being left behind as their team traveled to Cameroon on Sunday.

Cape Verde

Coach Pedro Leitão Brito, popularly known as Bubista, is in isolation in Abu Dhabi after te

Tunisia

Two players have tested positive: Youssef Msakni and Seifeddine Jaziri.

Malawi

Players Mark Fodya, Charles Petro, and Richard Mbulu were left behind in Saudi Arabia in isolation as the rest of the team traveled to Cameroon.

Bunmi Adeniba joins Coca-Cola as new Marketing Director

Bunmi Adeniba, an experienced marketing professional and commercial operator with a strong bias for using consumer insights and her understanding of an end-to-end manufacturing process to harness value for multiple stakeholders, has been appointed as the new Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Nigeria Plc.

Prior to her current appointment, Mrs. Adeniba, the Acting President of Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), was the Marketing Director of Unilever Nigeria. She is also the Vice-President of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). The WFA Executive Committee brings together senior marketers and public affairs executives to reflect the dual mission of helping marketers be more effective and efficient in terms of their marketing spend, while helping brand owners protect and future-proof their license to operate through advocacy and effective advertising self-regulation.

Mrs. Adeniba has worked in several other FMCG companies in her chequered career trajectory. She is a customer-focused professional with broad-spectrum, cross-functional work experience spanning brand building, new products and category development, supply chain/quality management and quality systems set up.

Her ability to quickly understand, interpret and apply strategic directions is believed to be highly remarkable and commendable. She has a great deposition and is always willing to learn and share knowledge.

Mrs. Adeniba’s over two decades experience spans across brand building, innovation design, and quality management system.

She has an MBA from Hult Business School, Boston and a certificate of Strategic Marketing Management from Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, USA.

She is a 2018 CSC Leader, a global programme for exceptional senior leaders selected from government, businesses and NGOs across the 53 countries of the commonwealth

Mrs. Adeniba is passionate about women empowerment and raising phenomenal leaders in the marketplace.

She has been recognised as one of the fifty Ladies in corporate Nigeria by Leading Ladies Africa and Brand communicator’s top 50 women in marketing and communication in Nigeria.

Mrs. Adeniba holds membership with the Institute of Directors (IOD), National institute of Marketing (NIMN), Chartered institute of Marketing UK (MCIM), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and American Society of Quality (ASQ). She is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) from the Digital Marketing Institute.

She is married and has three children.

Culled from  Marketing Edge