Osimhen Contracts Covid a Second Time, Pulls out of AFCON

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, has contracted Coronavirus a second time and Nigeria Football Federation sources have also confirmed that he has pulled out of the Africa Cup of Nations starting in barely ten days.

The 23-year-old who is Nigeria has reportedly cancelled his planned journey to his base in Naples, Italy for checkups on his cheekbone injury before flying into Cameroon for the tournament.

In a terse statement issued by Napoli yesterday, Osimhen was told to self-isolate in Nigeria while his scheduled check up has been rescheduled for another time.

“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 said in the statement that also stressed that Osimhen is asymptomatic.

With all the back and forth drama over his release to Nigeria for the AFCON in Cameroon, a Nigeria Football Federation source hinted THISDAY yesterday that Osimhen decided to pull out of the tournament to end the club-country row.

“He has spoken with interim Coach Austin Eguavoen, President Amaju (Pinnick), and even the Sports Minister (Sunday Dare) on his decision to pull out. They all understand the situation and have accepted his position. Victor (Osimhen) is a very dedicated player. Some other players in his shoes would have feigned recovering from the cheekbone injury and turn their backs on Nigeria,” observed the top football source yesterday.

There was however another source that insisted that the federation was going to have a meeting today to try and convince Osimhen not to shut the door completely. “I he gets cleared by the surgeon in Italy, he can still return to the squad dispute missing the opening game on January 11”, the source stated.

Until this second Coronavirus positive test, Osimhen was planning a return journey to Naples to play the Juventus match on January 6.

Osimhen was included in Eguavoen’s final 28-man squad after declaring himself fit to play in the continental showpiece event.

He was initially thought to be out for three months when he suffered the facial fractures after a clash of heads with Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar on 21 November. The former Under-17 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglets at Chile in 2015 required titanium plates and screws to be affixed to his cheekbone and eye socket.

Napoli doctor Gianpaolo Tartaro who operated the forward said the recovery date for him still remains 90 days making him unavailable to play for Nigeria at the tournament.

“For the formation of the callus bone, according to world protocols, it takes from 60 to 90 days. Unless a biological miracle,” the plastic surgeon told Top Italian news outlets Corriere Dello Sport,as per Tutto Napoli.

“If he does not do the CT scan, we will not be able to dissolve the prognosis. Reduced fractures must consolidate: I repeat, for the formation of the callus, you have to wait two or three months unless a Christmas biological miracle: but biology is not a fan.”

He however returned to training two weeks ago wearing a protective mask, giving him a chance of making the AFCON with the Super Eagles.

Before his injury, he recorded nine goals and two assists for Napoli this season as well as four goals for Nigeria in the 2022 World Cup qualifying series.

There is no official statement yet from the NFF on whether Osimhen would be replaced in the squad.