The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) today kicked off the first regional workshop for the new CAF Doping Control Officers (DCOs) in Cairo, Egypt.
Eighteen (18) doping control officers from the UNIFFAC (Union of Central African Football Federations) region are the first group of DCO’s to benefit from this innovative training programme.
The officers were selected in Cameroon, DR Congo, Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and Sao Tome & Principe following an agreement with the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Africa office. The criteria for selection was based on mandatory medical practice as an active professional, experience in doping controls, membership in the NADO (National Anti-Doping Organisation), and computer skills, among other qualifications.
The discussions, led by Raul Chipenda (CAF’s Director of Development Division), and Sherif Abou El Enein (Senior Manager of CAF Anti-Doping Unit), with the support of the WADA Africa Office, focused on FIFA and CAF strategies in the fight against doping in football.
They covered the medical organisation of a CAF competition, the Doping Control procedure, the introduction of the doping control paperless system (MODOC), and steps to be taken in the MODOC system by the DCO. The discussions also included prohibited substances, supplements use and abuse, as well as Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), followed by practical doping control sessions.
During the opening ceremony, Raul Chipenda stated: “I am pleased to welcome you to Cairo on behalf of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe and CAF General Secretary Mr. Veron Mosengo-Omba. At CAF, we are committed to implementing doping controls in all of our competitions, including interclub tournaments. It is essential for us to have well-trained control officers, and we are excited to collaborate with WADA to achieve this goal. Initially, CAF conducted about 125 tests per year, but now we conduct over 940 tests annually, with plans for further growth in the coming years. Conducting more and higher-quality tests will ensure that football is played in a healthy and fair manner.”
Sameh El Ray, Manager of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Africa office added: “For several years, WADA has worked closely with CAF, as well as FIFA, to pursue optimal alignment between their respective anti-doping programs, as well as those of the countries in which they operate. Thanks to the significant efforts undertaken by the CAF Anti-Doping Unit, as well as the Directorate of Development, our efforts are now bearing fruit and showing tangible results. This is made evident through the organisation of this first training initiative by CAF for candidate DCOs selected and nominated by their countries’ respective National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs). Overall, we strongly believe that this cooperation will be beneficial for all parties, as it will strengthen and streamline CAF’s anti-doping initiatives, as well as support the local development of national anti-doping programs.”
This workshop in Cairo is the first in a series of workshops that will be held with Doping Control Officers from different regions of Africa during the 2024-2025 season.
CAF