Two Malawi National Team players and two officials have been forced into quarantine after testing positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19).
As part of precautionary measures, FAM tested all the selected local players for the national team, officials and secretariat members of staff before starting the training at Mpira Village in Blantyre.
This followed a decision by the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 to allow the Flames to start its preparations for the forthcoming international assignments in October.
And today, the country’s soccer governing body, which has refused to disclose the names of the players and officials, has released a press statement which states that out of the tests conducted, four have been taken into isolation after testing positive for the virus.
Part of the statement reads: “Following the decision by the Presidential COVID-19 Task Force to allow the Malawi Men’s Senior National Team start camp training in preparation for the forthcoming international assignments (COSAFA Snr Challenge Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations), FAM undertook a precautionary measure of testing all the selected local players, officials and secretariat members of staff that are directly involved in providing support service to the national team when it’s in Camp.
“The national team has started camping on Monday 21st September 2020 at the Mpira Village in Blantyre.
“We wish to report that the outcome of the tests were negative except for two players and two officials whose names will not be disclosed to maintain their privacy,” reads the statement.
FAM has further stated that the four cases are asymptomatic and that the patients have been put in isolation.
“They are currently in isolation being monitored by our medical team and it is expected that they will be able to report for national duty once they test negative 10 days from the day when they tested positive in line with the National MoH guidelines on COVID 19.
“As we embark on this critical journey of football restart, we wish to advise that safety of all concerned is our utmost priority and we will do everything possible to enforce strict health and sanity measures during football gatherings,” reads part of the statement.
The senior team will participate in Cosafa in South Africa before facing Burkina Faso for back to back 2021 Afcon qualifiers.
Currently, the nation is eagerly waiting for the Taskforce committee to give a nod for sports resumption in the country.
All major sporting events were suspended in March due to the virus which has claimed thousands of lives across the globe.
In Malawi, however, the number of positive cases being recorded daily has gone down, giving hope to Malawians that government might lift bans imposed on sports.
