Black Stars and Racing Strasbourg defender, Alexander Djiku’s one-match suspension over a betting scandal has been lifted.
This was due to a successful appeal made by his club to the France Football Association.
Djiku, 28, was among 76 players, coaches and team officials who were cited following an investigation by the Professional Football League (LFP) for their involvement in betting during the 2020-21 season and was subsequently banned for one match.
A statement from the LFP on the suspensions said: “These offences were committed even though, together, the LFP and the UNFP (the players’ union) have carried out awareness or information campaigns with the clubs on a daily basis.
“The Commission recalls that the actors of the competitions organized by the FFF or the LFP (in particular the players, coaches, managers of professional football clubs) have a general ban on betting, online or in physical networks, on all football competitions, whether domestic or foreign.”
However, he is now in line to feature against leaders Paris Saint Germain in the French Ligue 1 tomorrow after an appeal by his club saw the ban reduced to a suspended sentence.
Born Alexander Kwabena Baidoo Djiku, he debuted for the Black Stars in a 3–0 friendly loss to Mali on October 9, 2020.
He has made 20 appearances and scored one goal for Ghana and made his World Cup debut last month in Qatar, playing two games; 90 minutes in the group opener against Portugal, before getting seven minutes off the bench against South Korea.
Djiku was a key member of the Racing Strasbourg side that finished in sixth position in Ligue 1 last season and has already played 14 matches for the club this term.
