Tottenham Women striker Chioma Ubogagu has received a nine-month ban from football following an anti-doping offence.
The FA and an independent tribunal made the decision in April, meaning the former England international, who scored on her international debut in 2018, will not be able to play until October after being given a provisional suspension in January.
The governing body accepted that Ubogagu, 29, did not take the banned substance, canrenone, to deliberately gain an illegal advantage. It is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it is sometimes used as a masking agent.
She said: ‘I’m really sorry for my teammates and staff that I can’t be on the pitch. The Club has been very supportive throughout this process, and I am very grateful for all their help.
‘My faith, family and close friends have helped me immensely through this difficult time. Looking forward to going back soon now that this has been resolved.
“I want to make it clear that the medication had no performance-enhancing effects, but I still made the mistake of not being as diligent as possible, and as a result, I can’t play the game I love until I serve my suspension.
‘While my dermatologist knows my profession, it is also my responsibility to know more about the medications prescribed for me. I plan to share my story and educate others on the seriousness of what can happen, and hopefully help other athletes avoid situations like mine in the future.”
Ubogagu, who joined the club from Real Madrid in July, said he was prescribed the drug spironolactone in Texas, USA, to treat his acne, when he was at Houston Dash, and continued to take it after his arrival in England.
