Conmebol Reschedules Libertadores and Sudamericana Matches in Colombia After Earthquake

The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has postponed Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana matches scheduled for this week in Colombia. The decision comes in the wake of a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country on Monday, causing significant damage and claiming at least 181 lives.

Conmebol's Competitions and Operations Directorate announced the rescheduling of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 match between Colombia's Deportes Tolima and Ecuador's Independiente del Valle. The game, originally set for Tuesday, will now be played on August 18 at the Estadio Manuel Murillo Toro in Ibagué. The return leg is scheduled for August 25 in Quito, Ecuador.

Similarly, the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 match between Colombia's Santa Fe and Argentina's River Plate, initially planned for Wednesday, has been moved to August 19. The second leg will take place on August 26 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The earthquake, which occurred at 07:34 local time with its epicenter in San José del Palmar, Chocó, at a depth of 103 kilometers, was felt across a large part of Colombia, as well as in Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. The Colombian government declared a state of "national disaster" as the death toll climbed, with regional authorities reporting figures exceeding 240.