The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
WHILE Zimbabwe have two players ruled out of the two 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Ethiopia after they posted for Covid-19, their opponents on Friday, Bafana Bafana are also in the same predicament.
Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos has to do without Thibang Phete and Thabiso Kutumela for the match against the Warriors after both players tested positive for Covid-19, which means they have to go into isolation.
The South African Football Association on Wednesday (today) announced that after the fourth round of testing in the Bafana Bafana camp yesterday (Tuesday), it was not a clean bill of health for the national team departing for Zimbabwe, to participate in the Fifa 2022 World Cup Qualifier against Zimbabwe in Harare.
According to Safa, Phete who plays for Portuguese club Belenenses SAD was missing from training, after his PCR (polymerase-chain reaction) test came back positive for Covid-19, and was isolated immediately. Later it was flagged that another positive test returned for Thabiso Kutumela, as the teams results became available throughout the morning. Kutumela was also isolated.
“We have tried our level best to ensure that the national team remains safe while in camp. It is always daunting to try and pin-point as to where and when the infection happened. Every measure is taken to ensure the safety of everyone in the camp,” said Bafana Bafana team doctor, Tshepo Molobi.
He added that all other tests for players and staff have returned negative and it will only be the exclusion of Phete and Kutumela who will not be traveling with the team when they depart on Wednesday.
The next round of Covid-19 tests will be done on arrival in Zimbabwe on Wednesday night.
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