Ekrami hit with two-month suspension for doping

Pyramids goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy during the CAF Confederation Cup 2021/22 quarterfinal match between TP Mazembe and Pyramids held at Stade TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi, DRC on 24 April 2022 ©Ahmed Ramadan/BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Thursday May 04, 2023. 15:00

Pyramids goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami has been handed a two-month ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for failing a doping test.

The 39-year-old tested positive for a banned substance on matchday 1 of the CAF Confederation Cup group stages as Jaime Pacheco’s side played out to a 2-2 draw with AS FAR at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

Ekrami was an unused substitute in the February 12 encounter and he didn’t feature in any of their subsequent seven games in the competition as the Egyptian Premier League club bowed out on Sunday following a 2-1 defeat on aggregate to Marumo Gallants in the quarter-finals.

The former Egypt international was a regular starter for Pyramids following his arrival from city neighbours Al Ahly in November 2020 but lost his place in the team to Ahmed El Shenawy this season and has yet to make a single appearance in the top flight.

CAF’s disciplinary committee announced on Wednesday that Ekrami has been retroactively suspended after he admitted to receiving a fat-burning substance under the supervision of the team doctor and was unaware that it had been prohibited.

The Red Eagles youth product’s suspension is reportedly due to end on May 28, ruling him out of the next four league games, as well as the Egypt Cup clash with Raya Ghazl.