BUENOS AIRES - The Argentinian Football Association (AFA) has postponed all national football competitions until the end of March because of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a brief statement issued late on Tuesday, the AFA said it accepted a written request by sports minister Matias Lammens to suspend matches in a bid to protect players and halt the spread of the virus.

Earlier, Lammens received notification from footballers union chief Sergio Marchi that players would go on strike if the AFA did not stop its competitions.

The decision affects the Argentinian Superliga Cup, which began last week, as well as the women's national league and youth tournaments.

All of South America's major football championships have now been halted because of the coronavirus, except for some state championships in Brazil.