#3 Ibrahim Tanko
Ibrahim Tanko was just 17 when he made his league debut for Borussia Dortmund, but the Ghanian forward was unable to kick on from there to become a regular and it was a positive drugs test in late 2000 that brought his career at the Bundesliga side to a close.
Tanko, then 23, tested positive for a compound of tetrahydrocannabinol, an active ingredient of marijuana, after a German Cup match against Dortmund’s local rivals Schalke 04. By the time the result was confirmed following the analysis of a second sample, he had moved on to Freiburg, where he served the four-month ban (in addition to a fine of $7,000) handed out to him by the German Football Association.
The Kumasi-born player was never able to live up to his early promise thereafter. Injuries and a goal-shy record of five goals in 106 matches for Freiburg eventually saw him drop out of contention before retiring from the game at 30.