The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have increased Youssef Belaili’s doping ban to 8 years.
The Algerian and USM Alger striker was initially banned for 2 years by CAF after testing positive for banned substances he allegedly used in a CAF Champions League match against nemesis MC El Eulma.
The Football Federation of Algeria (FAF) later discovered that Belaili had apparently used synonymous substances in USM Alger’s league clash against CS Constantine, and stretched his domestic ban to 4 years accordingly.
Belaili was set to travel to Cairo and appeal against CAF’s disciplinary committee but decided against presenting himself. The continent’s governing football body then resorted to stretching the ban to a career-disrupting eight years.
The 23-year-old’s reaction to the brutal sanction remains to be seen.
