Eight players in Tunisia's World Cup squad have tested
positive for clenbuterol, a substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA), following the tournament in Mexico.
According to The Times, the players are
believed to have unknowingly ingested the banned substance through contaminated
meat consumed at the team's World Cup base.
The report said the players' respective clubs have
been informed of the positive test results. However, FIFA is not expected to
impose sanctions, as the incident is believed to have resulted from food
contamination rather than the intentional use of a performance-enhancing
substance.
Tunisia endured a disappointing World Cup campaign,
suffering a 5-1 defeat to Sweden on June 15, a 4-0 loss to Japan on June 21,
and a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands on June 26.
Cases involving clenbuterol-contaminated meat are not
unprecedented in Mexico. During the 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, also hosted
by the country, 109 players tested positive for the substance.
Following investigations, both FIFA and WADA concluded
that the positive results were caused by contaminated meat and decided not to
pursue disciplinary action against any of the affected players.
Mexico's Under-17 team, which won the tournament,
reportedly avoided the issue after switching to a diet consisting mainly of
fish and vegetables before the competition began.
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