• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has sanctioned four players with life bans for match-fixing offences. Kursanbek Sheratov, a player with Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoi FC, was sanctioned with a life ban for conspiring to ‘manipulate the result of a match in a manner contrary to sporting ethics and support[ing] betting activity in connection with a match’. Vladimir Verevkin, Iliaz Alimov, and Abduaziz Mahkamov were also sanctioned with life bans for conspiring ‘to manipulate the result of matches in a manner contrary to sporting ethics’ at 2017 and 2018 AFC Cup matches. 

• Comments from Pep Guardiola may result in Riyad Mahrez being targeted for an anti-doping test. The Manchester City Manager told the Daily Mirror that the Algerian winger had recently returned from helping his country win the African Cup of Nations, and doctors had not been able to determine the ingredients of medication he had taken, which is why he left him out of the squad for City’s penalties victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield yesterday. ‘UK Anti-Doping operates a risk-based, intelligence-led public-interest doping control programme’, wrote a UKAD spokesperson in an email. ‘To maintain the integrity of the process, our doping control programme is carried out on a “no advance warning” basis. We are therefore unable to provide comment on any plans we may or may not have to conduct testing.’

• The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced the composition of its Independent Observer Programme for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, which run from 23 August to 1 September. At the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, 19 athletes reported adverse analytical findings (AAFs – or positive tests).