February 16 – Allegations of widespread drug-taking have rocked Algerian football with one international Youcef Belaili (pictured) reportedly suspended by the Confederation of African Football along with three others players.
Algeria was the only North African country to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but the latest controversy has heaped ignominy on to the football-mad nation.
Algerian sports commentators and fans are blaming the government and Algerian Football Federation (AFF) following a damning report which claimed the four recent cases were not unique and that there were 10 other instances where players have tested positive since 2013.
Medical experts told Algeria’s El-Khabar newspaper that the football industry was in “chaos” since no doctors were assigned to clubs on a regular basis.
All the players involved denied taking illicit substances, with some claiming that they had been under the impression that they were taking vitamin supplements.
The AFF has said it will enforce more stringent testing for performance-enhancing and social drugs but El-Khabar described these measures as merely “cosmetic”.
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