Black Stars coronavirus positive cases hit five after friendlies, European clubs on alert

Germany-based defender Kasim Nuhu became the fifth person from the Ghana team to test positive for coronavirus following last week’s friendlies against Mali and Qatar while striker Caleb Ekuban has been hospitalised over symptoms of the disease.

With the sudden rise in the number of confirmed positive cases in the team, it is certain that players and officials of the team that travelled for the two matches will now face the real prospect of quarantining over the growing cases.

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 five on Sunday after it became clear that Hoffenheim defender Kasim Adams has 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.

Apart from the five players confirmed to have contracted the virus, Ekuban has been hospitalised in Turkey after showing strong symptoms of coronavirus with a very high temperature.

The 26-year-old was also the room-mate of Bernard Mensah during the Black Stars one-week training camp in the Turkish city of Antalya and the Besiktas midfielder has tested positive for the deadly disease.

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

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.

Source: GHANAsoccernet