APR football club captain Thierry Manzi has called on football fans to heed government advice on prevention of the coronavirus as the country seeks to return to normalcy. The national football league and all sporting activities were suspended on March 15 after the Government rolled out a raft of measures, including banning large gatherings and urging the public to observe social distancing, as well as limit their movement and to work from home where possible. Members of the public were also urged to practice recommended precautionary measures, including washing hands with soap and water, or using hand sanitizers to clean their hands and suspicious surfaces. Manzi is one of the most decorated players in the league and said this is the first time he has witnessed a pandemic that has changed his course of life. “To be honest, I didn’t know this crisis would affect several aspects of my life. I am not just a football player but also a fan. I know it is going to be difficult for football fans like myself in the next few weeks or months but we have to follow government instructions on prevention of the coronavirus to the letter,” Manzi said. APR have given tailor made training programmes for their players to stay fit until the league returns and Manzi said he mainly trains from his house and only leaves very early in the morning to run. The military side hold a six-point lead at the top of the league table with seven matches to go. Arch rivals Rayon Sports are second while Police and Mukura are third and fourth respectively. By press time, the country had recorded 11 cases – five of them imported infections including three foreign nationals, an Indian, a Ugandan and a German – but authorities said all the patients were in stable condition.
