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| - Iraq captain Alaa Abdel Zahra and forward Hussein Ali have tested positive for Covid-19 officials said on Sunday a day before they were to travel to Abu Dhabi for friendlies next week. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi and Sports Minister Adnan al-Derjal had attended a special send-off training with the team on Saturday, shaking members' hands. Bassil Gorgis, the administrative head of the national team, told AFP skipper Abdel Zahra, 33, and forward Ali, 25, tested positive the following day. "The test results arrived on Sunday but because we suspected they were infected, the two athletes were already in confinement from Saturday," Gorgis said. Iraq are set to play Jordan on Thursday. Nearly half a million Iraqis have contracted Covid-19, of which more than 11,000 have died. The country's health sector has been worn down by decades of war and poor maintenance. Fewer and fewer Iraqis are abiding by social distancing or other health protocols. kj/mjg/iwd
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