As we head to the Afcon 2021 Cameroon’s goalkeeper Andre Onana has come out to reveal how he was affected by his nine-month suspension.
The 25-year-old who plays for Ajax was given a 12-month ban, but it was reduced to nine on appeal.
Having gotten ill in October 2020, Onana looked in his cabinet for something to ease his discomfort whereby he took his wife's Lasimac medication by mistake.
What seemed to be of help to him would however threaten his career and drag his name through the mud.
UEFA suspended the Ajax goalkeeper despite accepting that he had taken the banned substance Furosemide by accident.
After the decision Onana expressed his devastation that barred him from being part of the sport that he dearly cherishes.
"I am a human being who was away from my friends, family and football. This time in my life has been dark and tough."
"I want to say, with these things, the young guys need to be careful as it can happen to anyone. They need to pay attention because anything can happen in life.”
"When it happened, I thought, 'How am I going to explain to my parents that I have been banned for drugs when I never even smoke or drink alcohol?' I’ve not even had a taste of shisha.”
"For my parents, it was hard. People who know me were asking 'How is it possible that this guy we know to be professional has been done for drugs?'
"It was a mistake and UEFA even recognised that fact, but it didn’t help me. I had already received my punishment,” Onana stated.
Despite the punishment Onana had no intention of letting his suspension derail his career therefore he undertook a personally designed training program in Salou, close to former club Barcelona.
"I was not allowed to do so many things," he explains. "I couldn’t go to any stadium, I had to book everything for myself, I wasn’t allowed to train with any coach of Ajax, I wasn’t allowed to work with any professional coaching lessons.
"I was banned for nine months from all that. Somehow, in the beginning, for a second, it felt like football was being taken from me as I wasn’t allowed to do anything at all.”
"It was like 'Wow! This is tough.' So, we figured out some things. I went to Spain with a private goalkeeping coach, my physios and my mental coach.”.
"I had seven people working for me. These guys helped me so much and nine months felt like five. I didn’t expect to play for Ajax so soon but they played me in the Champions League.”
"It was a nice atmosphere away from Besiktas. I was like, I am back at it again!' But thank God everything went well.”
"I am back in business. I am back with the same mindset to become the best goalkeeper in the world," he noted.
As for AFCON, Onana is now free to represent his country at the African Cup of Nations.
"Cameroon have everything to win and we are not afraid of anyone," he declares. "We are ready to give everything to make the country proud," Onana stated.