Angers forward Ibrahima Niane banned for 2 years after testing positive for Ecstasy and MDMA
Ibrahima Niane, the 26-year-old Senegalese striker currently with Angers SCO, has been suspended from professional football for two years after testing positive for ecstasy and MDMA.
The French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) announced the ban, effective from March 31, 2025, and lasting until March 31, 2027. The ban prohibits Niane from participating in any professional competitions, training sessions, camps, and friendly matches. According to a report by L'Équipe, Niane was unable to explain the presence of these substances in his system during the investigation, leading to the strict sanction.
Doping suspension
hits at contract end
Niane's contract with Angers was due to expire on June 30, 2025, with no extension offered by the club. Last season, he made 30 appearances during Angers' promotion campaign from Ligue 2 but did not score any league goals. In the current season, Niane played 27 matches and scored three goals, helping Angers maintain their place in Ligue 1. However, he had already been excluded from the first-team squad after injuring a teammate during a training-ground clash in early April 2025.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting
Luxeartisanship
Buy Now
Undo
Angers subsequently released him alongside six other first-team players, as reported by The Sun and other outlets.
A Promising career now in doubt
Niane's career began with high promise. He honed his skills at Senegal's Generation Foot Academy, finishing as the top scorer in the Senegalese Ligue 1 with 19 goals in 18 matches during the 2017 season, leading his club to a national championship. At 18, he signed with FC Metz in France, helping the club gain promotion to Ligue 1 after a brief relegation.
The 2020-2021 season showed strong potential with six goals in six matches and a Player of the Month award in September.
He was also close to being called up to the Senegal national team under coach Aliou Cissé. However, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee derailed his progress, and he has managed no more than three goals per season since returning to play.
Official statements and club records
Angers SCO stated: "Initially signed on loan from Metz on January 31, 2023, Ibrahima Niane joined Angers SCO on a permanent contract the following summer.
The Senegalese striker scored six goals and supplied three assists in 76 games in all competitions." Former Senegal Under-20 international Niane played a key role in Metz's promotion before his transfer to Angers.
The AFLD emphasized that Niane "may not participate in any form of professional competition," including all training and friendly matches. Meanwhile, Niane has returned to Senegal to consider his next steps in football amid this uncertain period.
Get
IPL 2025
match
schedules
,
squads
,
points table
, and live scores for
CSK
,
MI
,
RCB
,
KKR
,
SRH
,
LSG
,
DC
,
GT
,
PBKS
, and
RR
. Check the latest
IPL Orange Cap
and
Purple Cap
standings.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
19 minutes ago
- News18
Shubman Gill Creates History, Becomes 1st Cricketer In The World To...
Curated By : Last Updated: August 12, 2025, 18:28 IST Shubman Gill becomes first cricketer to win four ICC Men's Player of the Month awards. (Picture Credit: AFP) Indian men's Test cricket team captain Shubman Gill entered his name in the history books on Tuesday (August 12) by becoming the first cricketer in the world to win four ICC Men's Player of the Month awards. For his super show with the bat for India in the three Tests played against the English team in July 2025, Gill won the ICC Player of the Month award for July 2025 on Tuesday. He is the first male player to win four ICC Player of the Month awards. Gill previously won the ICC Player of the Month award in February 2025 and in January and September 2023. Australia's Ash Gardner and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews have also won four ICC Women's Player of the Month awards. In July 2025, Gill registered scores of 269, 161, 16, 6, 12, 103 and 21 for India in seven innings of four matches against the English team in England. 'It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July," Gill said in an ICC release. 'This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain. 'The double ton in Birmingham is obviously something I will cherish forever and will be one of the highlights of my tour to England. Swipe Left For Next Video View all 'The Test series against England was a learning experience for me as captain, and we had some outstanding performances from both sides, which I am sure players from both sides will remember for a long time. 'I would like to thank the jury for selecting me for this award and my teammates who have been with me during the course of this exciting series. I look forward to continuing my form in the season ahead and bring more laurels for the country." view comments News cricket Shubman Gill Creates History, Becomes 1st Cricketer In The World To... Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Read More
India Today
40 minutes ago
- India Today
Shubman Gill pips Stokes to win historic 4th ICC Player of the Month award
India's Test captain Shubman Gill has been named ICC Men's Player of the Month for July 2025 after his stunning performance in the recently concluded Test series in England. Gill was chosen ahead of England captain Ben Stokes and South Africa's Wiaan Mulder for the honour. It was the fourth Player of the Month award for the India star – the most by a male player was previously adjudged ICC Player of the Month in January 2023, September 2023 and February 2025. After receiving the honour, the star batter said that he cherishes it the most among the four he has won, since it has been awarded for his performances in his maiden Test series as captain.'It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July. This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain. The double ton in Birmingham is obviously something I will cherish forever and will be one of the highlights of my tour to England,' said Gill in a media release by ICC. Furthermore, he said that the England Test series was a learning experience for him as a skipper and called the series a memorable one for both teams.'The Test series against England was a learning experience for me as captain and we had some outstanding performances from both sides, which I am sure players from both sides will remember for a long time. I would like to thank the jury for selecting me for this award and my teammates who have been with me during the course of this exciting series. I look forward to continuing my form in the season ahead and bring more laurels for the country,' he finished as the leading run scorer of the series, having scored 754 runs from ten innings at an average of 75.4 with four hundreds to his name. He started the series with a magnificent 147 at Headingley, Leeds and further accumulated 430 runs (269, 161) in the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham – the second-highest match aggregate in the a result, he was adjudged Player of the Match in India's massive 336-run win. After quiet outings at Lord's, Gill further scored a match-saving 103 in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, helping India draw the match. Courtesy of his prolific run, he was deservedly adjudged Player of the Series after leading his men to a historic 2-2 draw in the five-match Dunkley named Women's Player of the MonthadvertisementMeanwhile, England batter Sophia Dunkley has been named the Women's Player of the Month. She was picked ahead of her team-mate Sophie Ecclestone and Ireland captain Gaby Lewis for the award. Dukley played in all eight matches at home against India across the two was England's leading scorer in the T20 series, having accumulated 151 runs from five matches at a strike-rate of 134.57 with the highest score of 75 (53). The right-handed batter further scored 126 runs in three ODIs and smashed a superb 92-ball 83 in the first ODI in expressed her delight for receiving the award but regretted losing both the series.'I am delighted to win the ICC Player of the Month award off the back of a really hard-fought series against India. We would have loved to have won the series, but I think we'll take a lot from it moving towards the ICC Women's World Cup. India deserved their win, and it was a great series to be a part of,' said Dunkley in a media release.- EndsTune InMust Watch
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'They have said goodbye to the wrong format': Ex-India cricketer's bold take on Rohit, Virat Test retirement
As Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are stuck in the period of inactivity, a former India cricketer has come to opine about their situation. read more Having bid adieu to the T20Is and the Test cricket, and with the Bangladesh ODI series called off, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are trapped in a period of inactivity. The two haven't indulged in any cricketing action since the culmination of the IPL 2025, leaving fans unsatisfied and eager to see them back on the field. As ODIs do not take place as regularly as they once used to, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not expected to don the Indian jersey again before October, when Team India will tour Australia for 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs. Paying heed to the situation of Kohli and Sharma, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has opined that the two exited the wrong format. According to Chopra, Kohli and Sharma should have said goodbye to the ODI format rather than the Tests. It should be noted that both the batters announced their respective retirements from the longest format of the game in May, ahead of the squad selection for the England tour. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Chopra says Rohit-Virat should have exited ODIs instead of Tests Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, 'The truth is that they have said goodbye to the wrong format. They had left T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup, but the story might have been different had they continued to play Tests and said goodbye to ODIs. India played only six ODIs in 12 months before the Champions Trophy." Chopra puts substance to his opinion by stating that playing 6 Tests in a calendar year offers more exposure of international cricket than 6 ODIs. 'There is a possibility that you might play only six Tests in a year, but even if it is only six Tests, it's 30 days of cricket. If only six ODIs are played, it's just six days of cricket over a period of time. It will be more than 100 days from your last IPL match to the next ODI you will play. You are not playing at all. You are not practising at all," he added. Chopra also stated that the long gaps between the ODI series make it challenging for the players to maintain form, fitness, and commitment to diet. 'A three-match series gets over in seven to eight days. Then the next one would be after three months. Gaps are just incredibly huge, and you won't play first-class cricket in between. It's true that had they continued playing Test cricket and left ODIs, staying in the groove would have been a lot easier," he said. Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hold an outstanding record in the ODIs. Sharma, who is still the captain of the side, has played 272 matches and has stockpiled 11,168 runs at an average of 48.76. He has notched 32 centuries and 59 fifties in his career, and not to forget, he holds the record of scoring the highest ever individual score, 264, in the history of ODI cricket. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is arguably the greatest ever ODI batter. He has amassed 14,181 runs in 302 matches an average of 57.88, with 51 centuries and 74 fifties. Given the numbers they have produced, it seems like they still have a lot to offer to the 50-over format.
