Saudi Arabia's forward Fahad Al-Muwallad attends a press conference at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on June 24, 2018, on the eve of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt. (AFP)

Al-Muwallad withdrawn from Saudi Arabia World Cup squad over doping case

Saudi Arabia

Follow Followed Unfollow

AFP

Published: 13 November ,2022: 06:05 PM GST Updated: 13 November ,2022: 06:09 PM GST

Saudi Arabia forward Fahad al-Muwallad was withdrawn from their World Cup squad on Sunday as a precaution due to an ongoing doping case.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The al-Shabab forward was handed an 18-month ban last May by the Saudi Arabian Anti-Doping Committee after he tested positive for the banned substance Furosemide.

However, the Saudi Sport Arbitration Center reduced his ban in late August, and decided that the period during which he was suspended was sufficient.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision, and, according to local media reports, a longer ban is expected for the 28-year-old, who in 2019 was suspended for one year, also for doping.

The Saudi team said on Twitter that coach Herve Renard made the decision “as a precautionary measure after reviewing the developments of WADA’s appeal ... and after consulting with the Saudi FA legal department.”

Renard has called up al-Shabab’s veteran forward Nawaf al-Abed to replace al-Muwallad.

World Cup Qatar 2022: Coca-Cola hosts first-ever official FIFA Fan Festival in Riyadh

Countdown to World Cup Qatar 2022: Match timings, dates, venues

Get the latest stories from AlArabiya on Google News