The camp of the Banyana Banyana of South Africa is in disarray, following the outbreak of coronavirus ahead of their quarter-final clash with Tunisia on Thursday.
This was confirmed in a statement released on South Africa Football Association (SAFA) website on Tuesday.
Banyana Banyana finished as group winners in Group C after winning all their three games.
But they will now have to face Tunisia without some of their players who tested positive for COVID-19.
Recall star forward Thembi Kgatlana has been ruled out of the tournament due to a serious injury.
The statement from SAFA read:“Banyana Banyana will be forced to soldier on without a number of players after positive Covid-19 cases emerged in camp in Rabat, Morocco.
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“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.”
Speaking to www.safa.net, Banyana team physician Dr Rodney Mokoka said:“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.
“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.”
Despite the setback, Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has maintained a positive outlook ahead of another round of Covid-19 tests that will be conducted before the match on Thursday.
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COMMENTS
South Africans with their stupid mind games. And Complete Sports with their shallow and shabby reporting. If you guys do not have clear info, it is better to stay clear from reporting in situations like this. The heading of this article even made the matter worse.
What one could gather from this info is that there is an official and a player who tested positive and they have received treatment. One other asymptomatic player was isolated and the player should be available for their next match since she had been on isolation before the Botswana match. So what is all this unnecessary sensationalism about their camp being in disarray?
It seems like South Africans are beginning to play dirty behind the scene now. And complete Sports are really helping them to start a pity party. They should get on the field and play joor. From this news, their team is not in any disarray. We do not want any excuse when we meet them next because they will collect big time. All these tactics will not work.
Mind games!
You’re right…
Mostsepe is the South Africa version of Hayatou…..Might even be worse with the creation of all these regional bullshit. Suddenly, strong West African teams are being knocked out early…No CIV, No Ghana, and now Nigeria or Cameroon will have to play intercontinental qualifiers for the WC while 2 Southern African teams might make it to the Semi final. Southern African talents will still find it hard to outclass West African and North African talents in this game of African football for a long time to come.
Quite shocked people are not talking about this. Motsepe has an agenda: to stop West Africa from dominating African football. Zambia and South Africa may end up going to the WC while the likes of CIV, Ghana, either of Nigetia and Cameroon would have to watch from home.
With a fraudulent qualifying system, he ensured West Africa presented weak teams so SA and other COSAFA teams could have their way. Why not give WAFU B more slots going by the region’s antecedents in world football for women?
Ahmed Ahmed started the madness and now his brother is perpetuating it. And Pinnicj and the rest are there looking like mumu for their own selfish reasons. Posterity will not forgive them.
Problem is servicing of stomach infrastructure by Pinnick and the other toothless and greedy Nigerian sports politicians. These lousy fellows don’t have any vision for our collective growth. Why can’t they challenge CAF when the president tables these stinking and fraudulent qualification system? Is it participating in the WC to massage the national pride of Motetse (so vicious like disease-carrying tsetse fly) or to have the prospect of going far in the competition, possibly winning it?
Crazy, greedy, visionless “leaders.”
I remember some years back in the 90s when SA could not qualify to play in the big tournaments and championships. They will use backdoor to qualify and the only AFCON Cup they have won so far was by playing the host when the designated hosting nation could not provide the required facilities. They (SA) grabbed the chance to host and participate automatically as hosting nation having failed to qualify through the qualifying matches. I remember last minute withdrawal of Nigeria then because of the bad political situation in Nigeria during the military Junta’s (Sanni Abacha) regime. In the nineties, they had about 3 backdoor entries to major championships because they could not qualify playing qualifyers.
Actually might be 3 possible Southern African teams in the semi final – Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa.. This is Motsepes’s dream come true.
The idea was not Motsepe’s, this zonal rubbish was introduced by Ahmad. And as KangA wrote, Amaju and his west african clowns were looking simply to satisfy there own selfish interest.