ST GALLEN, Switzerland: Peru captain Paolo Guerrero scored twice in a 3-0 friendly win over Saudi Arabia yesterday, three days after getting a reprieve from a 14-month doping ban that has freed him to play at the World Cup.
The 34-year-old netted Peru’s second and third goals as they outclassed their fellow World Cup qualifiers after Andre Carrillo had opened the scoring with a stunning volley.
It was Guerrero’s first appearance for Peru since the World Cup qualifier in Argentina last October when he tested positive for a cocaine byproduct — contained in a tea he drank.
Guerrero’s dream of playing in his first World Cup appeared to have been wrecked last month when an original six-month ban was increased to 14 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But on Thursday, the Swiss Federal Tribunal agreed to temporarily lift the ban pending an appeal and cleared him to play at the World Cup, where Peru will be taking part for the first-time in 36 years.