As part of FIFA’s ongoing goal to keep football free of doping, a two-day workshop was held for doping control officers of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from 19 to 20 March in Cairo, Egypt.

The Vice-President of the CAF Medical Committee, Yacine Zerguini, opened and closed the workshop which was attended by 25 experienced medical practitioners from across the continent.

The course was led by FIFA representatives with the aim of updating the knowledge and know-how of doping control officers. Agenda topics included strategies against doping in football, banned substances, use of supplements and therapeutic use exemption. There was a mix of theoretical and practical learning with an examination at the end of the training.

Of the course, participant Cyrille Serges Dah said, “We have improved our knowledge regarding doping controls and were taken through new updates and modifications regarding doping so that we can be efficient in our tasks.”

One of the key outcomes of the workshop is the creation of a CAF Doping Control Unit to handle doping related issues. Representatives from the CAF general secretariat, medical and legal departments will constitute the unit to ensure that procedures are conducted professionally.

For the first time, CAF, with FIFA’s support, will conduct out-of-competition doping controls ahead of the upcoming Total Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2019. Random tests will subsequently be conducted on players during training camps with the aim of testing every player at least once before the final tournament.