The Portugal women’s soccer team was the subject of an unannounced FIFA anti-doping control this Monday at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, the Navigator hotel in Auckland, New Zealand.
The FIFA team controlled 10 Portuguese players by drawing lots in action, which began after the athletes’ lunch and ended around 16:00 local time (5:00 in Lisbon).
The procedure is common in the final stages of major competitions.
The selected Keene only found out about the anti-doping controls upon their arrival at the hotel, after a Monday morning workout, which ended in the cancellation of a scheduled visit to the Oakland Zoo for the entire entourage.
Portugal continues to prepare for the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday with training scheduled for 10:30 local time (23:30 Monday in Lisbon), a time yet to be confirmed.
Portugal’s World Cup debut is scheduled for six days on Sunday at 19:30 local time (8:30 am in Lisbon) in Dunedin against current world runners-up Netherlands in the first round. groups E.
After clashing with the Dutch, the Portuguese team will face also rookie Vietnam, in Hamilton on July 27 at 19:30 local time (08:30 in Lisbon), closing out Group E against the United States, the last two World Cup winners, in Auckland on August 1 , at 19:00 local time (08:00).
The competition kicks off Thursday at 19:00 local time (08:00 Lisbon time) with hosts New Zealand and Norway facing each other at Eden Park in Auckland in the first round of Group A.
The ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held from 20 July to 20 August in Australia and New Zealand.