Felix Afena-Gyan: AS Roma teenager tests positive for COVID-19

The 18-year-old has made a massive impact at the Serie A club since making his senior debut in October.

Afena-Gyan’s stock rose further after he netted a sensational double as Jose Mourinho’s team beat Genoa 2-0 two weeks ago.

However, the teenager has been ruled out for the foreseeable future after the club confirmed he has tested positive for COVID-19.

A statement from AS Roma said: “The club can confirm that, following the latest round of molecular testing involving the first team squad, forward Felix Afena-Gyan has returned a positive test for COVID-19. 

“The relevant health authorities have immediately been informed. The player, who has been vaccinated, is doing fine and has now begun isolating at home.”

In a separate post on Twitter, Afena-Gyan said he looked forward to recovering and joining his teammates soon.

“Tomorrow I’ll be supporting my teammates from in front of the TV. Waiting to test negative and to return to training. Forza AS Roma,” the player tweeted.

Mourinho has been a huge fan of the teenager, who received a pair of shoes worth €800 from the Portuguese manager after scoring a double against Genoa.

“He is a player with qualities that we don’t really have in the squad. He’s a player who looks for opportunities that we don’t often try to exploit,” Mourinho said of Afena-Gyan some weeks ago.

“We have a lot of players who want the ball at the feet; we don’t have many who look for the spaces to run into. I like him because of how he tries to run into space and how he works out on the pitch. How he presses. He’s aggressive in the spaces.”

He added: “He is a long, long way from being the finished product - a long way from being a complete player and a long way from being the perfect player to start for a team like Roma.

“But he is a player that deserves to be worked with and deserves a chance to play. It’s good for him that he is training with us, just as it is good for other players.”

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Afena-Gyan will be included in Ghana’s squad for the AFCON after the player turned down an invitation last month.