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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
TWO Bulawayo City FC employees, a coach and a member of the secretariat have tested positive to Covid-19, bringing the total of the club’s employees that have tested positive in the two tests done by the local authority’s health department to five.
TWO Bulawayo City FC employees, a coach and a member of the secretariat have tested positive to Covid-19, bringing the total of the club’s employees that have tested positive in the two tests done by the local authority’s health department to five.
Three footballers, a goalkeeper and two Under-20 stars tested positive when the local authority ordered that players and staff that were to partake in a fitness expo and the trending Jerusalem Challenge dance test for Covid-19 before their inhouse exercise a fortnight ago.
After the first tests where 15 players, technical team and secretariat were examined, the club sent its secretariat staff into isolation following positive results.
It is not clear when the city’s health department conducted the second round of tests which found an assistant coach and a member of the secretariat positive.
Confirming the latest results, Bulawayo City chairman, Jerry Sibanda said his club stands guided by Zifa and the Premier Soccer League in relation to players and staff’s Covid-19 tests.
“Look, this wasn’t a football exercise but a health programme being carried out by our backers. Council staff has been going through Covid-19 tests as a way of establishing their statuses, with those found positive or in contact with positive people going on isolation. We’ve heard that two members of our staff were notified of their results on Monday and the health department is handling that.
“We’ve seen shocking comments on social media that the club is testing players in preparation for returning to training which is false. We’ve explained that these tests were done because those individuals who happen to be our players and staff were supposed to participate in a Jerusalem Challenge which is trending globally as well as a health expo. City of Bulawayo takes health issues seriously and they were not going to have players and staff taking part in council related activities without conducting Covid-19 tests and put other people’s live at risk,” said Sibanda.
The PSL told out Harare Bureau that they are still waiting for a signal from Zifa to get down to business after the clubs failed to get the mandatory Covid-19 testing to pave the way for group training.
Zifa last week indicated they were going to fund the tests and wanted the PSL clubs to start training, by Monday,
ahead of a mini-league tournament set for December.
The association said a two-week tournament would lay the ground work for national team coach, Zdravko Logarusic, ahead of the Chan tournament in Cameroon in January.
PSL chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, said their medical committee had made proposals for the safe return of football and had presented their plan to Zifa.
“We are still waiting for the procurement of the equipment, and the kits required for testing.
“The doctors (PSL Medical Committee) have sent a requisition to Zifa. That is where we are at the moment, in terms of the progress. Once the procurement is confirmed the doctors will then give us the programme to follow.
“The PSL clubs are ready, let’s say the procurement is done tomorrow then the clubs may as well go down to business the following day.
“But, as of now, group training remains banned until the testing, and the other procedures, are in place.’’
The PSL sent a memo to all league sides indicating that each club will have 50 individuals tested.
This will translate to 900 people getting tested, for the initial phase, at a cost of almost US$60 000. — @ZililoR
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