In the world of soccer, drug testing is like an untimely bomb, Zuyundas midfielder Paulo Pouba may have his career interrupted for two to four years due to the "fat man" incident. Looking back at history, similar cases of "mistakenly" taking banned substances are not uncommon. For example, the Cameroonian international Oonana, who is now the goalkeeper of Manchester United, was involved in a controversy over the use of the banned substance Furosemide when he was playing for Ajax.
In 2021, UEFA handed down its verdict on Onana's drug ban, finding him suspended for one year. After Onana appealed to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, the sentence was reduced to nine months. Despite this, he still maintains the dignity of an athlete.
In Onana's case, a urine sample tested positive for the banned substance Furosemide, and he argued that he had taken a prescription drug provided by his wife due to ill health. He thought it was just a common aspirin, but it turned out to be a huge turnaround in his career. Although the UEFA Disciplinary Panel found that Onana "did not intend" to take the drug and did not benefit from it, it found that athletes have a responsibility to ensure that they don't use banned substances and decided to suspend him for a year. Ajax then appealed to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the sentence was eventually reduced to three months.
