Nigerian striker Onuachu tests positive for coronavirus

By JOHNNY EDWARD

Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu on Wednesday tested positive for coronavirus, but the result of his compatriots Stephen Odey and Cyril Dessers at Belgian club Genk, came out negative.

The 26-year-old Nigeria international is the first Eagles star to test positive for the virus that has caused sporting events cancellations and suspensions across the globe.

“In the run-up to the first exhibition game of the season, the entire Genk group was tested yesterday (Tuesday),” a report on Belgian website hln.be stated.

“Everyone tested negative except Onuachu.”

The 6ft7in striker left Belgium for Nigeria on May 27, alongside fellow Eagles strikers Victor Osimhen and Imoh Ezekiel and returned to his club June 28 after he was stranded for a week in Lagos due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Onuachu becomes the second Nigerian footballer to contract the virus after Akpan Udoh, the first footballer to be infected, in February.

Pianese forward, Udoh, 22, was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and began his youth career at Reggiana, before moving to giants Juventus, where he failed to play a competitive game for the Old Lady.

According to hln.be, Onuachu will miss Genk’s first exhibition game of the season against Eendracht Termien on Thursday (today) as he will be quarantined for a week.

Onuachu’s COVID-19 status has however raised concerns within the Genk squad as he had trained intensively with the rest of the squad for more than a week now.

Onuachu joined Genk from Danish club FC Midtjylland last summer and scored 10 goals for the club before the Belgian Pro Division season was ended abruptly due to COVID-19. (The PUNCH)