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WAR HORSE, KENNETH OMERUO, HARDWORKING AWAZIEM PICKED FOR DOPE TEST

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As in most high profile football competitions when two players from each side are randomly picked, Nigeria’s Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem were on Saturday subjected to dope tests after the Nigerian elimination of Cameroon.

The two players were not allowed to join the others in celebration as they were to go for dope tests. They spent almost four hours with the medicals before joining their colleagues at the Helena Resort Beach.

Africa Cup of Nations competitions have not been known to record any positive dope test in its previous 31 editions.

The World Cup have however have cases of positive dope tests, the first being that of Haiti’s Ernst Jean-Joseph who became the first player to fail a dope test at the World Cup.

He was reportedly beaten up by his own squad officials after the test results came in. Next was Willie Johnston of Scotland in 1978. He was sent home in disgrace.

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The most celebrated one was however that of Diego Maradona who tested positive to cocktail of banned substances after the Nigeria – Argentina match at the USA ’94. He was tested along with Nigeria’s Mike Emenalo. No Nigerian footballer has ever failed a dope test.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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