Africa

Benin's Oketola Shaken By Drugs Ban

Benin international midfielder Jonas Oketola has expressed shock at a two-year ban handed him in South Africa for using a banned performance-enhancing drug, amphetamine.

Jan 6, 2009 7:28:16 AM

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"If this is true, it will be very bad for me. I'm not aware of the ban and need to call my club about it," said Oketola, who is on holidays in Nigeria.

"Two years is a very long time in football and this will really affect my career."

The 25-year-old Thanda Royal Zulu player, who is Nigerian but chose to feature for neighbouring Benin, tested positive for amphetamine late last year.

Oketola's club are furious that they are yet to be communicated with the player's ban, and rather read about it in the newspapers.

“To be honest we haven’t received anything from Safa or the PSL about Oketola’s ban. It is surprising that we have to find out about such things through the media,” said Thanda manager, Thabani Gumede.

“The last communication that we got was when there was a hearing last month. A further hearing was scheduled to be held after which the sentence would have then be communicated to us, but that hasn’t happened."

Thanda are now likely to appeal this ban.

“But we will work on the matter in consultation with our lawyers once the sentence gets to us,” he says.

Oketola joined Thanda at the beginning of 2008 but only made his debut in August after his clearance from Nigerian club Kwara United was delayed.

Samm Audu. Goal.com