{"id":746010,"date":"2022-01-12T09:55:56","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T09:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/12\/ivory-coast-suffers-as-goalkeeper-suspended-by-fifa-for-alleged-doping-violation\/"},"modified":"2022-01-12T09:55:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T09:55:56","slug":"ivory-coast-suffers-as-goalkeeper-suspended-by-fifa-for-alleged-doping-violation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/12\/ivory-coast-suffers-as-goalkeeper-suspended-by-fifa-for-alleged-doping-violation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ivory Coast suffers as goalkeeper suspended by Fifa for alleged doping violation"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Ivory Coast goalkeeper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Africa Cup of Nations title hopefuls Ivory Coast were dealt a blow on the eve of their first game at the tournament as first-choice goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo was ruled out for doping.<\/p>\n

The Ivorian Football Federation revealed news of the FIFA-imposed ban on Tuesday, 24 hours before the Elephants play Equatorial Guinea in their opening group game in the Cameroonian city of Douala.<\/p>\n

\u201cFIFA can confirm that its Disciplinary Committee has provisionally suspended Sylvain Gbohouo on the grounds of doping,\u201d a spokesperson for football\u2019s world governing body told AFP.<\/p>\n

The 33-year-old started all six matches in the group stage of African qualifying for this year\u2019s World Cup, including most recently a decisive 1-0 defeat in Cameroon in November.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

National team coach Patrice Beaumelle was notified on 26 December that Gbohouo had tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication that the World Anti-Doping Agency categorises as a stimulant.<\/p>\n

Gbohouo had been named in Ivory Coast\u2019s squad for the tournament three days earlier and was subsequently provisionally suspended.<\/p>\n

His ban has now been confirmed by Fifa and Gbohouo, who plays his club football in Ethiopia for Wolkite City, has appealed against the ruling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had hope of getting a favourable response from Fifa but yesterday I learned that they were upholding their decision,\u201d Beaumelle said.<\/p>\n

Beaumelle added that the player, who was part of the 2015 Nations Cup-winning squad, was training alone, had lost weight and \u201cis not sleeping\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ivory Coast are in Group E alongside holders Algeria, Sierra Leone and the Equatoguineans, with Badra Ali Sangare, Abdoul Karim Cisse and Ira Eliezer Tape their other three keepers in Cameroon.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Elephants supporting Gbohouo<\/h3>\n

Beaumelle said \u201cpart of a molecule \u2013 a residue\u201d had been found in a sample provided by Gbohouo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really difficult for the player,\u201d the Frenchman, who was appointed in March 2020, added.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been here since 5 January not knowing if he\u2019ll be able to play. He\u2019s not eating anymore, he\u2019s lost weight, he\u2019s not sleeping.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope he stays with us, because I think he has an important role to play around the team if he can\u2019t be in the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a great keeper and an excellent person. Its really hard for him and his family and we are all supporting him because his career isn\u2019t finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former TP Mazembe keeper Gbohouo was in goal for the majority of Ivory Coast\u2019s triumphant Nations Cup campaign in 2015, but was injured for the final, which was won 9-8 on penalties following a 0-0 draw against West African rivals Ghana.<\/p>\n

Beaumelle, meanwhile, was assistant to then-Elephants coach Herve Renard seven years ago.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n