Colombia earthquake: Libertadores and Sudamericana matches rescheduled

Football matches in Colombia have been rescheduled following a powerful earthquake that struck the nation. CONMEBOL announced on Tuesday that the postponed Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana knockout-stage games will now be played in the weeks of August 18 and August 25.

The decision came after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Colombia on Monday, resulting in at least 240 fatalities and widespread damage. The continental football governing body had initially postponed games scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday on Colombian soil.

The first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 between Deportes Tolima and Independiente del Valle, originally set for Tuesday in Ibagué, is now scheduled for August 18. The return leg will be played on August 25 in Quito. Similarly, the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana between Independiente Santa Fe and River Plate, initially planned for Wednesday, will now take place on August 19 in Bogotá, with the second leg in Buenos Aires on August 26.

While the earthquake primarily impacted western Colombia, Ibagué and Bogotá experienced no severe structural damage. The remaining round of 16 matches in both tournaments are expected to conclude by August 20, with quarter-final matches slated for the weeks of September 8 and 15.