Aubameyang Tests Positive For Covid Days Before AFCON Opener

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tested positive to Covid just days before his country Gabon are set to play their AFCON opener.

The 32-year-old forward now appears likely to miss out on his country’s first game of the competition against Comoros scheduled for Monday 10 January.

Aubameyang cannot seem to catch a break with one bad news after the other. He has had a trying couple of weeks of which he was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy and dropped from the squad entirely.

The club confirmed Aubameyang’s exclusion from the squad was as a result of a disciplinary breach. However, his unavailability for selection in the Arsenal squad gave him room to link up with his countrymen earlier than expected in preparation for the AFCON.

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The Gabonese FA took to social media to post photos of the squad arriving in Cameroon on Thursday, January 6. Aubameyang can be visibly seen in one of the pictures. Shortly after, it was announced that the Gabon skipper had tested positive for Covid.

Prior to their arrival in Cameroon, the Gabonese national team held some team preparations in Dubai. According to reports, Aubameyang may have contracted the Covid virus while in Dubai and preparing for AFCON.

The rumours are rife because of a video that emerged of him parting with teammates in Dubai amongst whom was Mario Lemina who has also tested positive.

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This latest ordeal will no doubt cast fresh concerns over Aubameyang’s attitude and commitment as he has been warned over breaches of Covid protocol in the past.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Aubameyang has tested positive for the virus. The striker was forced to miss games for Arsenal in the first half of the 2021-22 season having contracted the virus.

Just last February, Aubameyang was given a stern warning by the club after footage of him receiving a tattoo emerged despite strict Covid guidelines.

Having contracted the Covid virus, Aubameyang will now be forced to self-isolate and could miss a substantial part of the AFCON with his country.

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