BENGUELA RECEIVES 5TH AFRICAN SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP FOR AMPUTEES

The city of Benguela was the venue for CANAF – the African Amputee Football Championship, October 4-11, 2019. Six nations running for the title: Angola, Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. The matches were played at the Sao Filipe Stadium in Benguela city center, a place that fans could easily access but proved to be small for the crowd following the competition, particularly on the last day of the final.

Angola won the title of champion for the first time, beating Nigeria 2-0 on Friday 11 October. In third place was Liberia (former African champion), winning 2-1 to Tanzania, which debuted in this championship. Angola is currently also world champion, having won the title in Mexico in 2018.

Photo from worldamputeefootball.com/

Other awards were presented to Angolan National Team defender Celestino Elias as the best player of CANAF, while the Cameroon team received the “Fair Play” trophy. Angola’s Augusto Lilito was awarded the best goalkeeper trophy, and Polish referee Pawel Piotr Susek considered the best. In the Angolan team-dominated list of distinctions, “Cheto” Baptista received the best coaching cup.

Some things you may not know about amputee football:

  • International rules stipulate that a team be made up of six outfield players and a goalkeeper. However, certain tournaments require teams of four outfield players plus goalkeeper, as was the case in Sierra Leone.
  • Outfield players may have two hands but only one leg, whereas goalkeepers may have two feet but only one hand.
  • The game is played with metal crutches and without prostheses, the only exception being that bi-lateral amputees may play with a prosthesis.
  • Players may not use crutches to advance, control or block the ball. Such an action will be penalised in the same way as a handball infringement. However, incidental contact between crutch and ball is tolerated.
  • Players may not use their residual limbs to voluntarily advance, control or block the ball. Such an action will be penalised in the same way as a handball infringement. However, incidental contact between residual limb and ball is tolerated.
  • Shin pads must be worn.
  • Use of a crutch against a player will lead to ejection from the game and a penalty kick for the opposing team.
  • The pitch measures a maximum of 70 x 60 metres
  • The dimensions of the goals are 2.2 metres maximum (height) x 5 metres maximum (width) x 1 metre (depth)
  • A FIFA standard ball is used
  • Games consist of two 25-minute halves (variable according to the tournament), with a ten-minute rest period in between
  • Both teams are allowed a two-minute time-out per game
  • Offside rules do not apply in amputee football
  • A goalkeeper is not permitted to leave his or her area. Should this occur deliberately, the goalkeeper will be ejected from the game and the opposing team awarded a penalty kick.
  • An unlimited number of substitutions can be made, at any point during the game. (source FIFA https://www.fifa.com/sustainability/news/y=2007/m=11/news=amputee-football-the-rules-the-game-636378.html )