Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigerian and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, 23, has recovered from the Coronavirus infection that stopped him from traveling to Italy for the medical examination of his cheekbone injury and subsequent dropping out of Super Eagles squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Napoli announced Osimhen’s recovery from Covid yesterday on their official Twitter handle.
“Victor is negative for COVID and will return to Italy in the coming hours,” Napoli gleefully wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
In Osimhen’s absence, Napoli have struggled to keep pace in the Italian topflight.
Until the Nigerian international got injured in a Serie A match with Skriniar of Inter Milan, Osimhen had scored nine goals in 14 club appearances this season. Napoli were leading the pack.
The Partenopei are now third on 43 points behind Inter Milan (49) and AC Milan on 48 points.
He’s expected to show up at the surgeon’s place today for the examination of the injury. If the medics find massive improvement in Osimhen’s injury, the Super Eagles forward is likely to return to action for Napoli wearing a mask before weekend.
Osimhen tested positive for Covid at the end of December and was initially ruled out of football for three months.
However, barely one month into his treatment regime, Nigerian football fans who were sulking going to miss their prized forward at the AFCON in Cameroon were shocked to hear from Osimhen that he was fit to play with a protective mask for Nigeria at the tournament.
But like several big European clubs who didn’t want their players to go for the African football showpiece for fear of contracting Covid, a club versus country spat ensued between the NFF and Napoli.
Osimhen however solved the lock jam, offering to skip the tournament.
Napoli’s next games after defeating Sampdoria 1-0 last night include the fixture against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia on Thursday and Bologna on Monday January 17 in Serie A.
