The Malawi Women’s Under 20 National Football team have on Thursday started residential camp in Lilongwe in preparation for 2022 Costa Rica FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Preliminary Round qualifying matches against Zambia.

However, 12 out of the 42 players that were called for camp have been released after testing positive to Covid-19 during the tests done as part of the FAM’s camping protocols.

All the players are asymptomatic and have gone into isolation.

FAM Competitions and Communication Director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the 12 have been ruled for the first leg but may be available for the return leg if they recover.

“At the moment they cannot make it for the first leg and this why they have returned home for isolation. However, we will be following up with all the positive cases to see who will recover in time for the return leg.

“It is a big blow to the team but we will have to work with the players that are available and no new players will be called into camp,” said Zakazaka.

Malawi will start the WC campaign away in Lusaka on September 26, before hosting Zambia in the second on October 9 at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe

The winner between the two teams will face the winner between Mauritania and Ghana in the next round.