London, august 10, 2020 (AltAfrica)-39 local footballers and staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 from the Morrocan and Egyptian league

While 23 test positive in Morocco’s Ittihad Tanger football club, Sixteen coronavirus cases were detected at Egyptian Premier League club Masry after they ran PCR tests during a training camp in Alexandria, the Port-Said based club announced on Sunday.

“12 players and four members of the technical staff tested positive for coronavirus,” Masry’s football director Abdel-Zaher El-Saqqa told Egyptian media.

The announcement came one day before Masry’s scheduled league game against Haras El-Hodoud on Monday. The match is now likely to be postponed.

Masry are the second leg to confirm more than a dozen coronavirus cases after El-Entag El-Harby, who had their match against FC Masr rescheduled after 19 players and non-playing staff had tested positive.

After being given the green light by the government to resume the league competition, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) ordered all clubs to runPCR tests ahead of every game. The domestic competition restarted on Thursday after a five-month hiatus due to the pandemic.

Masry had their latest PCR tests after Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Zamalek. 

Almost three dozen cases were discovered at several clubs, although all of the infected members only had mild symptoms.

Holders Ahly are leading the league table with 49 points after playing 17 matches, 16 points over second placed Arab Contractors, who played one game more.

Masry lie tenth with 20 points from 17 matches.

“The club (Morocco’s Ittihad Tanger football club) announces with great regret that the results of the coronavirus screening tests to which all the components of the team were subjected on Saturday morning revealed 23 cases of contamination,” the management of the club wrote on Facebook.

The list of infections includes 16 players, two members of the training staff, one member of the medical staff, three members of the club management, and one member in charge of equipment.

The team carried out screening tests after several staff members and players showed symptoms of COVID-19, despite the “many preventive measures put in place as well as full compliance with the health protocol.”

Ittihad Tanger was expected to play against Renaissance of Berkane on Tuesday, coming in 15th position in the Botola Pro (professional Moroccan football league) with 15 points after 20 matches.

The club’s announcement comes a few days after Moghreb Athletic de Tetouan announced that two of its players tested positive for COVID-19.

Tanger and Tetouan are among the major cities in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region reporting the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

MWN/AHRAM