Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana banned for one year for failing drug test

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:02 am

Saturday, February 6, 2021. UEFA has baned the Ajax goalkeeper one year after he was accused of drug abuse. The 24-year-old Cameroon international and Ajax’s first-choice goalkeeper was found to have a banned substance Furosemide in his urine during an ‘off-competition’ test on October 30 last year.

This substance is banned from use by players and that is why Onana was banned. Ajax and Onana will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as the player is the backbone of the team’s goalkeeping. Onana argues that he mistakenly took the medicine for Aspirin which his wife was taking because the two buckets of the drug were similar.

Onana said his fine was excessive and he would appeal. He also argued that he was not a player who used banned drugs and I am living a healthy life. I’m against the use of drugs to improve my career and I will appeal the suspension. He said.

Onana, who has played for 18 matches for Cameroon, will miss the 202 Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon is the host nation of the tournament, which was reorganized in January 2022. On the other hand, he is a highly skilled goalkeeper and has kept nine clean sheets in 20 games this season.

Ajax director Edwin van der Sar said: “We openly reject performance-enhancing drugs – and believe in and support clean sports. This is a major setback for the team. “We were expecting a conditional fine or a much shorter fine for these 12 months, because it is undoubtedly designed to strengthen his body and thus improve his performance,” he said.