Banyana Banyana have confirmed a number of players in the squad have tested positive for Covid-19.
The news comes a day after it was confirmed Thembi Kgatlana will miss the rest of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign due to injury.
The names of the players were not disclosed while a team official had also tested positive ahead of Thursday's quarter-final against Tunisia.
Statement:
The SASOL-sponsored Banyana Banyana will be forced to soldier on without a number of players after positive Covid-19 cases emerged in camp in Rabat, Morocco.
The South African senior national team is preparing for a crunch Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-final match against Tunisia on Thursday, 14 July 2022 and a win against the North Africans will also ensure that coach Desiree Ellis’ charges are one of the four continental sides to qualify for the 2023 World Cup to be co- hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“We had one official who tested positive before the Burundi game [in the group stages of the tournament]. The official was isolated and treated as she was symptomatic,” Banyana team physician Dr Rodney Mokoka told www.safa.net
“And 48 hours prior to the Botswana game [the final group stage match], we had one player who tested positive for Covid-19 and she was also symptomatic. She was put in quarantine and treated accordingly. Her asymptomatic roommate who tested negative is in isolation, hence they both missed Botswana game.”
Ellis has maintained a positive outlook ahead of another round of Covid-19 tests that will be conducted before the match on Thursday.
The 2022 WAFCON took centre stage for the first time in four years after the previous edition was cancelled due the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic that wreaked havoc with the international sporting calendar.
