Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Nigerian soccer player Stephen Worgu has been sentenced by a Sudanese court to be flogged after he was convicted of drinking alcohol and driving while drunk, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported, without citing anyone.

Worgu, who plays for Sudanese club al-Merreikh, will receive 40 lashes and have to pay a fine of 250 Sudanese pounds ($105), the London-based broadcaster said. Alcohol is illegal in northern Sudan, it said.

Al-Merreikh bought Worgu for $2.6 million from Enyimba in Nigeria in what was one of the biggest transfers in African history, the BBC said, without elaborating. Worgu was the top scorer in the 2008 African Champions League, with 13 goals, it said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Richardson in Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 12, 2009 04:21 EST