Rivers United uncover Yanga’s plot to keep players and officials in Tanzania after testing negative to Covid-19

Rivers United football club has uncovered plans by Young Africans of Tanzania to continue to keep four players and three officials of the club in Tanzania despite testing negative to Covid-19 on Thursday September 16, 2021.

Recall, six members of Rivers United were said to have tested positive to Covid-19 barely two hours to kick-off in Sunday’s CAF Champions League 1st leg preliminary round tie at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium in Dars es Salam.

Consequently, the players and officials who were left behind in Tanzania had undergone Covid-19 test twice since Monday September, 13 and have observed hesitancy with the release of the result by the Tanzanian health authorities.

However, on Thursday September 16, the team underwent rapid testing and all were found to be negative. In a new twist, the Tanzanian health authorities who have refused to allow the team leave the country insisted on the team members to undergo RT-PCR test, of which the result has unnecessarily been delayed.

Thus, Rivers United football club sees the insincerity on the part of the handlers of the process as a ploy to rule the team members out of the second leg which comes up on Sunday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

Charles Mayuku

MO, Rivers United FC

17th September, 2021