Sports
Osimhen tests positive for COVID-19 a second time
Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen is set to miss the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after testing positive for COVID-19 barely 10 days to the start of the tournament.
His club Napoli announced that their striker will not return to Italy after returning a positive test before boarding from Nigeria.
Osimhen, who had tested positive last year when he returned home to celebrate with his family, is again faced with a similar challenge.
The 23-year-old is in Nigeria’s 28-man squad for the 2021 AFCON, and he was expected to return to Naples to assess his cheekbone injury on Friday.
Read Also: Eguavoen invites Osimhen, Dennis, 26 other Super Eagles stars for AFCON 2021
Following the face injury, Osimhen had been ruled out for three months, but later received green light from doctors to resume training.
However, the swab test he underwent in Nigeria before boarding on Thursday came back positive, so the forward didn’t leave his home country.
“SSC Napoli announces that the player Victor James Osimhen tested positive, asymptomatic, at Covid-19 during the execution of the swab before the trip to Italy, where a check-up by Prof. Tartaro was scheduled for tomorrow,” reads a statement on the club’s website.
”Consequently, the local authorities have ordered the isolation of the player and the check-up will be rescheduled after the negativization and his return to the community.”
The player has become a major doubt for AFCON, which is billed to hold between 9 January and 6 February 2022.
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