A former footballer has now made a shocking claim that "60% of Tunisian players use banned substances".
Retired Tunisian star Abdelsalem Bouhouche has made a bold accusation aimed at his fellow countrymen.
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The ex-defender expressed his concern with the use of drugs such as cannabis and cocaine in Tunisian football, suggesting that the sport in the country is now in decline due to inadvisable lifestyle choices by the majority of stars.
According to WinWin, Bouhouche said: "60% of Tunisian players use the banned substance cannabis and consume cocaine, and that's not all, they also stay up late and do a lot of bad things.
"The biggest loser is the club and Tunisian football in general."
The former centre-back added: "With all kindness, the Tunisian Football Federation must resume doping and drug tests as soon as possible.
"If you want to reform and develop Tunisian football, this is the first issue that must be worked on."
There have been a few prominent cases of footballers consuming banned substances in recent seasons, with Paul Pogba being one of the most notable cases.
The France international was handed a four-year ban for doping in February 2024, but his sanction was later reduced to just 18 months in October 2024 after a successful appeal, in which he argued that he had not taken a banned substance intentionally.
More recently, Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk faces similar allegations, with the Ukrainian currently provisionally suspended from football pending a full investigation.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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