CAF Strengthens Anti-Doping Initiatives to Safeguard African Football
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) is making significant strides in its battle against doping in African football, with a renewed focus on ensuring the integrity of the sport across the continent. Under the leadership of CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, the organization’s Anti-Doping Unit is ramping up efforts to combat the use of performance-enhancing drugs, a challenge that is affecting sports globally.
In collaboration with the COSAFA Zonal Union, CAF recently held an Anti-Doping Workshop in Johannesburg, bringing together medical practitioners from Southern Africa for comprehensive training and discussions on best practices in the fight against doping. This initiative is part of CAF’s commitment to fostering a competitive and fair environment for African football.
“Although the CAF Anti-Doping Unit started in 2020, we have achieved our set targets. Since then, we have conducted 900 tests per year, which is quite remarkable,” stated CAF Senior Anti-Doping Manager Sherif Abou El Enein. “Despite this significant achievement, we are not entirely satisfied. Our goal is to eliminate doping offenders from African football.”
The Johannesburg workshop follows previous successful editions held in Monrovia, Liberia, and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where CAF gathered qualified medical professionals to enhance the understanding and implementation of anti-doping measures. El Enein emphasized the importance of appointing qualified Medical Doctors as CAF Doping Control Officers (DCOs), noting that the delicate nature of this role directly impacts players’ careers.
“CAF has determined that being a qualified Medical Doctor is a prerequisite to being an official CAF Doping Control Officer. This is a medical practice and must be treated as such,” he explained. “A player found in violation can face a ban of up to five years, highlighting the gravity of this issue.”
In addition to human resources, CAF is leveraging technology in its anti-doping efforts through the implementation of the MODOC system—a paperless Doping Control testing method designed to minimize human error. This technological adoption aligns with CAF’s broader strategy to enhance the effectiveness of its administration and operations.
