CONFIRMED: First SA player tests positive for COVID-19!

It has been confirmed that a South African footballer based in Portugal has tested positive for COVID-19.

Read: SA sports minister open to resuming the season!

Sphephelo ‘Yaya’ Sithole, who is currently contracted with Belenenses U23 side in Portugal’s Liga Revelacoa, is confirmed to have contracted the Coronavirus according to a Portuguese sports newspaper.

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Sphephe Sithole tested positive for COVID-19.
(Image: Getty)

“Belenenses informed earlier in the afternoon, through a statement that in the context of preparing for the resumption of work, a player from the U-23 team had a positive result in the Covid-19 detection test,” confirmed the Portuguese publication as quoted by Soccer Laduma

“The player in question, is the 21-year-old South African midfielder, Sphephelo Yayá Sithole, mostly used in the under-23 team of the Blues of Restelo in the Revelation League (24 matches this season).”

“The Jamor club also revealed that, although the test was positive, Yayá never showed symptoms of the disease. The protocols developed for this purpose are being observed and we wish the player a speedy recovery,” the newspaper article added.

Meanwhile, the club also issued a statement on their official Facebook account confirming the news of the South African.

“We inform that, in the context of the preparation of the resumption of work, a player from the under-23 team of Belenenses SAD had a positive result in the Covid-19 detection test,” read the statement in the club’s Facebook page

“The protocols developed for this purpose are being observed. We hope for a quick recovery of the player, who had no symptoms of the disease. According to the protocol previously defined, this information concludes the provision of public clarifications on health cases related to Covid-19.”