Bafana Bafana team doctor Tshepo Molobi has confirmed that there were two Covid-19 cases in the camp ahead of the COSAFA Cup.
Bafana Bafana team doctor Tshepo Molobi has confirmed that there were two Covid-19 cases in the camp ahead of the COSAFA Cup.
The tournament is scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, 6 July as Bafana take on Botswana.
However, the squad will be without the two players for the opening stages after a one player and technical staff member tested positive, while another player was forced to isolate after coming into the close contact with the teammate who tested positive.
"The entire team tested yesterday, 1 July, and we got the results early this morning (Friday) with two positive cases, one being a player and one official," Molobi said.
"We the quickly started the quarantine process for the two positive cases and there is the issue of the close-contact of the one player who we also then isolated.
"Currently the three affected individuals are asymptotic, they're doing well. With the close-contact player, we will monitor his symptoms if there are any between now and day 6-7, we will repeat the test and then pending what the coaches decide, he might be ready to be re-introduced into the squad.
"That is the situation at the moment. We have two positive cases - a player and a technical staff member - with one close-contact off the positive, whose results are himself negative."
When asked if the personal affected will remain behind when the team departs for Gqeberha, he added, "I suspect that will be the approach because we are looking at the timeline, day one for them would start today. (Friday).
"That would mean they would de-isolate sometime around the 11th July, with the tournament concluding on the 18th, you then have very little time left for the player to be reintroduced because post-isolation, we would need to do a second round of testing to confirm that is on the system and also need to monitor the player.
"With regards to sports, it's not as easy as just re-introducing without proper monitoring. The demands on a body for an athlete post-infection is quite high and so we wouldn't want to compromise any player. So, there is a barrage of testing we do post the isolation just to make sure the individual is fit to return."
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