Sports News of Monday, 19 October 2020

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Ghana striker Caleb Ekuban finally tests positive for Coronavirus after friendlies

Ghana striker Caleb Ekuban Ghana striker Caleb Ekuban

Ghana striker Caleb Ekuban has finally tested positive for coronavirus after the initial test came out negative following the outbreak of the disease in the Black Stars camp during last week's friendlies.

Turkish club Trabzonspor has announced the heart-breaking news on Monday that their attacker has now tested positive after he was hospitalised with early symptoms of the highly contagious disease.

The Ghana international was rushed to the hospital on Saturday afternoon with signs of the disease but tests came out negative which reaasured the club but they excluded him from their squad.

However, results on the subsequent tests on Sunday have now come out that showing that Ekuban has been infected with the disease as his room-mate of Bernard Mensah of Bekistas had tested positive earlier.

"After our football player Caleb Ansah Ekuban returned from the Ghana National team camp to Trabzon on October 13, it was learned that his roommate in the camp tested positive for COVID-19," a statement from the Turkish club Trabzonspor read.

"Our player, who was isolated and followed-up on the grounds that he was in contact with the positive case, was treated in the hospital with high fever complaints in the following days and the two PCR tests applied together were negative.

"Our football player, whose last test was positive on October 17, 2020, was taken to home isolation and his treatment started."

The Ghana star will not be able to play in upcoming matches against Fenerbahce and Kasampasa.

Ekuban becomes the seventh Ghana person to be involved in the friendlies against Mali and Qatar to be now known to have caught the virus since the cases started spreading.

Ekuban, was a key suspect for the disease following his room mate Mensah's positive test, was rushed to the hospital by medical doctors of Trabzonspor with 39 degrees temperature and fell ill with a fever which are key signs of the virus.

However, the tests on Ekuban came out negative and doctors, not leaving anything to chance, asked him to quarantine himself at home while he is monitored.

But the more tests have confirmed the worst fears of Trabzonspor over their key striker who has been scoring the goals.

Several clubs in Europe who had their players play in the two matches for Ghana during the international break are now racing to contact the Ghana FA over the cases while also carrying out their independent tests.

The Black Stars coronavirus cases reached six on Sunday after it became clear that Jordan Ayew and Hoffenheim defender Kasim Adams have joined the growing number of players in the Ghana team that had contracted the virus.

Vitoria Guimaraes left-back Gideon Mensah, Spain-based defender Joseph Aidoo and Besiktas midfielder Bernard Mensah as well as Black Stars management committee member Jones Abu Alhassan were confirmed to have contracted the virus during the training camp in Turkey.

The latest revelation will raise serious concerns for the Ghana football authorities who would be in the race to discover the full extent of infections in the team when they played the matches against Mali and Qatar.

Fears over the Black Stars were raised when four players from the Mali side were confirmed to have contracted the virus and it was feared it could be spread to the Ghana national team when they played their West African rivals.

The full extent would be known this weekend when all players would have returned to their club sides where they are likely to face more stringent tests.

It will also give the Ghana FA the idea on how to prepare and protect its players and officials during their upcoming matches in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.