Cape Verdean game called off after official fails to show up with keys

 

The semi-final of a national championship was postponed after officials lost keys to the stadium.

Ultramarina and Mindelense had been due to play the first leg of their Cape Verdean Football Championship semi-final.

But the game was called off when officials could not find keys to Ultramarina's ground.

The Cape Verdean Football Federation (FCF) has now ordered Sunday's second leg to go ahead before the first game has been played.

Ultramarina should have hosted the first leg on Tuesday but nobody could get into the Orlando Rodrigues stadium because the government employee with the keys failed to show up, the FCF said.

A spare set could not be found, leaving players, officials and fans locked outside for around two hours, the FCF said in a statement on its Facebook page.

The FCF has now opened disciplinary proceedings against Ultramarina, who have never won the title, with sanctions ranging from a warning to disqualification or relegation.

The match had already been postponed twice because Mindelense, the country's most successful team with 12 titles. had problems travelling to the island of Sao Nicolau where Ultramarina are 23-time champions.

Cape Verde is made up of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 500km off the coast of Senegal.

BBC