Fifa has suspended Cote d’Ivoire goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo for 18 months after he tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine last year.
The 33-year-old, who returned a positive test after a 2022 World Cup qualifier on November 16, 2021, missed the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) this year after being provisionally suspended for the offence.
Trimetazidine is a heart medication that the World Anti-Doping Agency categorises as a stimulant.
“The presence of the prohibited substance in his sample, the player was found to be in violation of article 6 of the Fifa Anti-Doping Regulations as read in conjunction with article 17 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code,” the world soccer’s governing body said in a statement on Monday.
“The aforementioned suspension period starts on 23 December 2021, the date on which the player was provisionally suspended by the chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee.
“In line with article 30 of the Fifa Anti-Doping Regulations, the suspension covers, inter alia, all types of matches, including domestic, international, friendly and official fixtures,” the statement added.
Gbohouo, who plays for Ethiopian club Wolkite City, has 65 caps for Cote d’Ivoire and was part of the squad that won the Afcon title in 2015.
