AFCON Bound Victor Osimhen Tests Positive To Covid-19 For A 2nd Time

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has contracted Covid-19 a second time in Nigeria ahead of a planned trip to Italy to assess his cheekbone injury.

The 23-year-old returned a positive test in Nigeria ahead of his trip to Naples, but is asymptomatic according to a statement by his club, SC Napoli.

“Consequently, the local authorities have ordered that Osimhen self-isolate and the check-up will be rescheduled after he has tested negative and his period of isolation ends,” Napoli’s statement added.

Victor Osimhen, whose latest positive covid-19 result comes just 12 days before Nigeria’s opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations, will have to isolate for at least one week in line with public health protocols.

He first caught Covid-19 during Italy’s winter break last season when he came to Nigeria for his birthday last year December.

Victor Osimhen
photo credit: @victorosimhen9

He is the latest Cameroon-bound player to suffer a coronavirus-related setback ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on 9 January.

Barcelona had also announced Morocco forward Abde Ezzalzouli is self-isolating after testing positive, while Algeria and Ivory Coast have announced cases at their pre-tournament training camps in Qatar and Saudi Arabia respectively.

Dolupo Balogun

Written by BoomRadioNG