Mali and RB Salzburg pair crash after altitude sickness pills land then with a doping ban

February 22 – Two Mali players with Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg have been handed three-month doping suspensions.

Mohamed Camara and Sekou Koita will not be available for their country’s final two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Chad next month as well as for their club.

The pair had taken altitude sickness medicine while on international duty in November in the Namibian capital of Windhoek which sits at 1,700m above sea level. The team doctor who treated them has already been fired.

“Mohamed Camara and Sekou Koita are to be suspended for three months. This suspension is effective immediately and covers all club and international football activities,” the 14-time Austrian champions said.

“In its verdict, UEFA ruled that in this case there was no intentional violation of doping rules, but the rules stipulate that every player is personally responsible for ensuring that no banned substances enter their body, which occurred for Camara and Koita during international action for Mali.”

“They received a medicine to combat altitude sickness that contained a substance on the banned list. The doctor responsible was immediately suspended by the Mali football association.”

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