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Peru’s Prayers Answered as Paolo Guerrero Gets World Cup Reprieve

Peru’s hopes and prayers have been answered. The country’s star striker, Paolo Guerrero, will be able to lead the team at next month’s World Cup in Russia after all.

Salvation for Guerrero, and Peru, arrived in the shape of the Swiss supreme court’s decision on Thursday to stay a doping ban that had appeared to rule Guerrero out of the tournament when it begins next month.

The fate of Guerrero, a 34-year-old striker, has dominated headlines in Peru, bringing thousands of anguished fans demanding his reinstatement into the streets and even leading the country’s president, Martín Vizcarra, to turn the case into a national priority.