Keita Balde, a Senegal football player, will miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this winter due to a violation of the anti-doping regulations around the world.
After Cagliari, the Italian team he left in the summer to join Spartak Moscow, lost 5-1 against Udinese in April, the winger was asked to submit to a drug test.
Despite the fact that the 27-year-test old’s came back negative, Spartak announced in a statement on their website that Balde had nevertheless been found to have violated procedure and had, as a result, been suspended by the Italian National Anti-Doping Court.
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The ban is effective immediately and runs until early December, with his country’s three World Cup Group A fixtures all taking place in late November.
A Spartak statement read: ‘Midfielder Keita Balde has been suspended by the Italian National Anti-Doping Court until December 5 due to a doping violation while playing for Cagliari.
‘A sample taken from Keita that day found no banned substances. However, in accordance with the disciplinary code, any doping-related sanction imposed by another national or international sports association, national anti-doping organisation, is automatically accepted by FIFA and must be recognised by all confederations and associations.
‘Accordingly, the sanction applied by the Italian Anti-Doping Organisation is subject to recognition by the RFU.
‘Under the terms of the disqualification, the player will be able to return to the training process no earlier than 22 days before the expiration of the sentence.’
Senegal will face Holland, hosts Qatar, and Ecuador in their three group matches this time.