BONGANI MALUNGA
Thatayaone Ditlhokwe’s club, Supersport United, has confirmed that one of their players has tested positive for the Coronavirus. The club is currently based in the Gauteng bio-bubble, which is an enclosed and biologically safe camp for all ABSA Premiership clubs made specifically for them to be able to finish the 2019/2020 season in a controlled environment.
Supersport United tested 40 members of their team, including non-playing staff, last week as they prepared to set up camp in Johannesburg but the club confirmed that one player’s test came back positive during the final round of testing. As a result, the unnamed player will remain behind and undergo a mandatory 10 day quarantine, the player will then be retested before being allowed to join his teammates if all goes well.
In a report published by South African publication KickOff, Supersport United said the following, “We would like to confirm one positive COVID-19 case from the second round of testing that was completed this week. The player has currently been put into quarantine for 10 days and will be retested thereafter. A group of 40 personnel were tested (25 players and 15 staff members). The rest of the squad will resume training and will continue to follow all protocols before heading into the bubble for the completion of the 2019/2020 season.”
The club has elected to protect the identity of the player while confirming the news, the move is rather different compared to other parts of the world whereby football and basketball clubs disclosed the names of players who tested positive for COVID-19 to show transparency. Ditlhokwe and his teammates will return to competitive action on Sunday as they have a two game advantage over other clubs.