Peru will be without top scorer and captain Jose Paolo Guerrero at next summer’s World Cup after the Flamengo striker was given a one year ban by world football’s governing body FIFA. According to the official release, Guerrero has been banned for twelve months after testing positive for cocaine (cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine).
Guerrero scored five goals in CONMEBOL qualifying for Peru, who will be returning to the World Cup after a gap of 36 years following their intercontinental playoff triumph against New Zealand. Guerrero had missed the playoffs after originally being provisionally suspended for a month following his positive test (after the Argentina game)
Peru are in Group C for the World Cup alongside France, Australia and Denmark, and Guerrero’s absence will be a huge blow to their prospects of reaching the Round of 16