The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2021 third-place play-off slated for  Sunday, February 6, has been rescheduled to hold on Saturday, February 5 to impede security loopholes.

The game for AFCON’s third place slot was originally scheduled to hold three hours before the final showdown on Sunday, in Cameroon.

According to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the third place game will now be played on Saturday at 8:00pm(1900 GMT)

CAF in a statement on Wednesday, revealed the decision was made after discussions with the government of the host nation, Cameroon and the Local Organizing Committee.

The decision as stated by CAF, was in the interest of security following the streaks of security blows in the tournament thus far.

CAF in the statement said;

“After discussions with the government of Cameroon and the Local Organizing Committee, (it) decided to move the…third and fourth place (play-off) originally scheduled for Sunday…to Saturday”.

Playing the two matches on Sunday would have caused problems for security forces in the Cameroonian capital and CAF officials would not have been able to distribute medals to the third-place team and make it to the final, a distance of about 12 kilometres, on time”

The semi-finals see Senegal play Burkina Faso at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium later Wednesday before hosts Cameroon take on Egypt at Olembe on Thursday.

That match will be the first to be held at Olembe since the crush which killed eight people and injured 38 there prior to Cameroon’s win over the Comoros in the last 16 on January 24.