FARCICAL SCENES DURING BRAZIL VS ARGENTINA MATCH AS PLAYERS ACCUSED OF COVID-19 VIOLATION: It should have been one of the great games of football but instead the Brazil vs Argentina World Cup qualifier last night will be remembered as a total farce. Just three minutes in, COVID-19 health officials wandered onto the pitch to object to the participation of three Argentine players who they say had broken quarantine rules and after much chaos the match was abandoned. It was a dramatic intervention with Brazil's health authorities saying the England-based players - Emiliano Buendia, Emiliano Martinez, Giovani lo Celso, Cristian Romero - had sidestepped Brazilian rules which state travellers who have been in the UK, South Africa or India during the previous 14 days are forbidden from entering the country. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, “At no time were we notified that they couldn't play the match. We wanted to play the match, the Brazilian footballers too.” The match will need to be rearranged but no date has been set yet. [COMMENT BY: Imran Malik, Assistant Editor]
AFP