Mexican keeper Ochoa signs with Ajaccio

Posted Sunday, July 10, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

AJACCIO, France (AFP) - Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, recently cleared of doping, has signed a three-year deal with Ajaccio, the French first division club announced on Saturday.

Ochoa, who has 45 caps and represented his country at the World Cups in 2006 and 2010, was suspended from playing at the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup—which Mexico won—after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

But the Mexican football federation said Friday it would not punish Ochoa and four players embroiled in the doping probe, in a move likely to prompt an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Alfonso Sabater, head of the federation's disciplinary committee, indicated Ochoa, Francisco Rodriguez, Edgar Duenas, Antonio Naelson and Christian Bermudez had been the victims of "exceptional circumstances" and therefore no period of suspension should be applied to them.

Ajaccio president Alain Orsoni made public news of Ochoa's signing after hearing that the federation were taking no further action against the 25-year-old, who had also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Greek giants Olympiakos.