Liberia's King handed doping ban

Liberia goalkeeper Melvin King has been suspended for five months after being found guilty of a doping violation.

The 23-year-old, who plays for local side Invincible Eleven, was handed the Fifa ban on Thursday after a positive dope test during a World Cup qualifying match.

World football's governing body said the test, following the 21 June game against Senegal, had shown traces of a glucocorticoid.

"The sanctions for such an anti-doping rule violation range from a warning to a two-year suspension," Fifa said in a statement.

"The Fifa disciplinary committee decided to impose a sanction of five months starting on 2 October 2008, the date on which the player was first provisionally suspended."

King's ban would apply to all domestic and international competitions, including friendly matches.

This means he will be back in action in February next year.

Glucocorticoid is specified by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a form of medication which athletes can use if given prior permission in the form of a therapeutic-use exemption.

Fifa said King had not obtained the necessary exemption.