Unilabs is appointed as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Covid-19 testing laboratory service provider for TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations

Unilabs has 25 trained professionals on the ground, supplied with 70 state-of-the-art machines for rapid PCR testing, operating mobile testing centres across Cameroon

Unilabs, the leading diagnostic services provider, has been chosen as the CAF Covid-19 testing laboratory service provider responsible for testing all 1,500 players, team members, and referees at TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021.

Unilabs has 25 trained professionals on the ground, supplied with 70 state-of-the-art machines for rapid PCR testing, operating mobile testing centres across Cameroon. Each mobile unit has a vehicle with machines, test kits, consumables, PPE, and the necessary IT equipment to process samples and communicate results – quickly, reliably, and securely.

“We are honoured to support #TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 in Cameroon – the world’s most exciting sports event right now, followed with huge passion in Africa and beyond,” said Shimaa Sabri, Operations Director, Unilabs Middle East and Africa. “Keeping the teams safe and Covid-free is key to the success of these games, and we are delighted the Confederation of African Football entrusted us with this great responsibility.”

“In appointing Unilabs, we have chosen a service provider with a long history in the diagnostics space, and huge expertise in delivering Covid screening at major sporting events around the world, we look forward to working with Unilabs as we navigate the challenges of this competition, deliver a successful AFCON, and keep our people safe,” said Veron Mosengo-Omba, CAF General Secretary.

TotalEnergies AFCON games are being staged in five cities across Cameroon from 9 January until 6 February, with 24 teams competing for the Cup. To take part, each player and each of the 70-odd referees must demonstrate a negative PCR test before each game.

Once the swabs are taken, the Unilabs medical teams process the samples on-site, and communicate the results to individuals and team medical staff by SMS and email. Unilabs is the only official testing partner for the teams accredited to the event.

Unilabs has significant expertise in supporting large-scale events like this one, having provided testing for WebSummit Lisbon, Expo Dubai, a global cycling event in France, and various sports events in Switzerland and Slovakia.

Since the start of the pandemic, Unilabs has hugely increased both sampling and testing capacity. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, Unilabs has delivered more than 20 million Covid-19 tests across its network.