Amr Shaheen BBC Sport, Cairo

Amzy has been banned for 14 months

Egyptian officials are seriously considering applying doping tests in the domestic league.

The suspension of young star Amir Azmy for 14 months, after he tested positive during the World Youth Championship, has raised fears about the spread of drugs in the domestic game.

Azmy is the second Egyptian player to be suspended after Hani Said, currently playing for Italian second division club, Viola, tested positive during the 2002 Nations Cup finals in Mali.

"We are currently building a very expensive and advanced lab to perform doping tests because we are taking this matter seriously," Mohamed El Siagy, General Secretary of the Egyptian Federation, told BBC Sport.

"We plan to use this lab to examine all our international players and we might even consider using it also in the domestic league," Siagy revealed.

Meanwhile Azmy, who plays for Zamalek and failed to join Belgian side Genk last summer after an unsuccessful trial, is insisting that he did not intentionally take any prohibited substances.

"I caught the flu and was under medication with the supervision of the team's doctor and that is why I missed the opening match against Colombia," Amir defended himself.