A J. League YBC Levain Cup match between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Sagan Tosu was canceled on Wednesday just hours before kickoff after Sagan reported that a player and team staffer had tested positive for the new coronavirus, with tests later confirming six more players and three more staffers infected.
The startling development came one day after Sagan announced that manager Kim Myung-hwi had tested positive and admitted to a local hospital.
“With as many as nine infections (today), we decided that it would be difficult to hold today’s Levain Cup match as scheduled,” said J. League Chairman Mitsuru Murai in a joint news conference on Wednesday afternoon.