The 25-year-old has filed an appeal at the apex court with the hope of getting his ban lifted or reduced
Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana’s appeal against his one-year ban from football-related activities at the Court of Arbitration for Sport will be heard on June 2.
The Cameroon international was suspended in February after failing a drug test which was carried out in October 2020.
The goalkeeper had previously revealed that he wrongly took the medication prescribed for his wife which made him fail the test.
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As a result, Onana, who had featured in 20 league games for the Sons of the Gods before the ban, could only watch as Ajax were crowned the Dutch champions this month.
The suspension could also prevent the shot-stopper from featuring for the Indomitable Lions in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
Fifpro, the union representing footballers globally have also stood by Onana in his trying times, criticizing Uefa for the length of the ban.
“Fifpro strongly believes the one-year sanction imposed on Andre Onana is excessive and disproportionate,” read a statement from the union.
“Fifpro cannot accept a system in which football players shown to have no intention of cheating continue to be stopped from practicing their profession for a prolonged period of time. Such sanctions not only affect their career but also their well-being.
“Fifpro has previously called for a new approach to anti-doping regulations so that employee and employer organisations have more influence in how these rules apply to professional football. Furthermore, the notion that the player is not even allowed to train with the rest of the team is utterly incomprehensible.
“The rules need to urgently retract this additional injustice, which has no added value whatsoever and leads to the unnecessary isolation of a young professional football player.”
Onana has been starring for Ajax’s first team since 2016 and has contributed in no small measure to the club’s success, winning two league titles, Cup, among others, and helped them finished as runner-up in the 2016-17 Europa League campaign.
The goalkeeper is also a prominent member of the Cameroon national team and with his country hosting the next Africa Cup of Nations, he will hope to be part of the tournament.
Onana currently has made 18 appearances for the West African side since he made his debut in 2016 against Gabon.
