THE Fiji Football Association (FFA) has confirmed using the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) standards following the recent revelations of four players testing positive for prohibited substances at the 2026 Bic Fiji FACT tournament held in Labasa last week.
Fiji FA CEO Mohammed Yusuf, in an interview with TimesSports, affirmed that discussions around penalising clubs via points deductions or disqualifications were not entertained as they were not in line with the WADA framework which centres on individual accountability rather than collective punishment.
“FIFA (which FFA is under) is under WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency. What World Anti-Doping Agency rules are that when they test, they target the individual. The individual needs to be punished, not the team,” Yusuf emphasised.
Against the backdrop of a national drug epidemic, Yusuf highlighted the FFA’s proactive stance.
“Football is the only sporting organisation that is investing eight-ten thousand dollars per tournament to do this tests. And the strips we are using is totally different from the other strips used by other organisations,” he explained.
“These strips are detecting 12 different types of stuff, including alcohol. It can detect alcohol in the system. And as a result, our tests are done on a very dehydrated sample after 90 minutes of matches. And that urine sample is tested. It gives a true indication of what’s in the body.”
Yusuf assured that due process will be strictly followed for the four players who returned positive results at the Fiji FACT competition.
“In the regulations, the players have a right within 12 hours to demand for a retest. Two players did that,” he confirmed.
Further disciplinary action will be overseen by an independent committee comprising four to five legal professionals tasked with investigating the cases and determining penalties in line with the organisation’s guidelines. The FFA’s commitment underscores its resolve to uphold the integrity of football in Fiji by actively combating drug use and maintaining a drug-free sporting environment at all levels.
To watch Yusuf’s full interview on Fiji FACT, visit The Fiji Times Facebook page and YouTube channel.
