Caf medic responds to URA Covid-19 foul play concerns
The officials were not content that positive test results were entirely responsible for the omission of their key players from the ‘game of their lives’.
What you need to know:
- To investigate further, URA endeavoured to take the affected players to a separate laboratory at Makerere University on Tuesday which returned negative results
Caf Confederation Cup representatives URA grudgingly accepted to play though the barren draw against Al Masry at St Mary’s Stadium-Kitende minus 10 stars.
But, the officials were not content that positive test results were entirely responsible for the omission of their key players from the ‘game of their lives’.
To investigate further, URA endeavoured to take the affected players to a separate laboratory at Makerere University on Tuesday which returned negative results.
This was after just three days when their medical partners St Catherine Hospital, under the supervision of Caf and Fufa medical representative Dr Apollo Ahimbisibwe, carried out samples at their Lubowa Bible Society Campus camp that confirmed positive response.
To some URA officials, getting the results on match day at Kitende gave them no room to double check to see if indeed their players would be ruled out.
Subsequently, Shafik Kagimu, Cromwell Rwothomio, Steven Mukwala, Viane Ssekajugo, Hannington Ssebwalunyo, James Alitho, Livin Kabon and Juma Dada.
Others are Brian Nkuubi and Moses Sseruyidde missed the 0-0 draw.
The other three were coaches led by Simoen Masaba.
“We invest a lot of money in the game with hope of achieving success, how come the tests targeted the core players that would have buried Masry,”a top administrator at URA, on anonymity preference, queried.
“How come no notification was made about the same by football authorities.”
No ill intentions
Caf mandates a local based certified doctor to carry out mandatory Covid-19 tests a day to the match which fell on the shoulders of Dr Ahimbisive, also a Fufa executive member.
“I strictly supervised the St Catherine Hospital staff that carried out the tests. My Caf job ends at supervision and I can assure you there are many things URA didn’t do but got away with. No one can cheat you at your home ground. That is impossible,“he asserted.
He laughed off the allegations of some Al Masry officials ever peddling in the predicament.
“What I saw at Lubowa camp I’m not sure they thoroughly observed the Covid-19 SOPs. I advise them to continue testing because even if you are immunised you can still contract Covid-19.”
Dr Ahimbisibwe warned URA not to be taken up by the negative test results from Makerere because Covid-19 is a complex scare.
“The Ministry of Health dictates that a positive person must do the next check after seven days, not three or four. Those results wont get them past Entebbe Airport unless they conduct another session on Thursday (today),” he told Daily Monitor.
He said players are always asymptomatic which calls for proper assurance of SOPs because it can be a disaster to be tested positive away in Cairo.
URA are scheduled to arrive in Alexandria on Friday morning before taking on Al Masry in the return leg on Saturday.
Caf confederation cup
Second Preliminary stage
Return leg
Al Masry (0) Vs URA (0)
Alexandria Stadium, Oct. 23
