Breaking: Cameroon withdrawn Andre ONANA from AFCON tournament because of poor performance as Manchester United reject his come back, tell him he has no space in the squad anymore
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Andre Onana defends Manchester United decision after criticism for disastrous start to AFCON
The Man Utd goalkeeper was left out of the Cameroon squad for their Africa Cup of Nations opener after a nightmare journey.
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ByRichard FaySenior Football Writer
15:15, 16 JAN 2024
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El Hadji Diouf speaks to Andre Onana (Image: X: @LRKabeya)
André Onana has likened choosing to represent either Manchester United or Cameroon to being asked to pick your favourite parent after he finally arrived at the Africa Cup of Nations this week.
The 27-year-old played for United in their 2-2 draw against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, before he boarded a private jet to fly to the Ivory Coast for the tournament just four hours later.
Onana hoped to play for Cameroon just 24 hours after he had lined up for United when they faced Guinea in their opening group game on Monday.
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However, the United shot-stopper was left out of the team altogether after a nightmare 16-hour journey to the tournament. Onana’s private plane was unable to land in Yamoussoukro due to poor visibility, so he flew 150 miles south to Abidjan instead and then had a three-hour car journey to the capital city and only arrived a few hours before kick-off.
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Onana’s cousin, Fabrice Ondoa, started in the 1-1 draw instead of him and the United goalkeeper had to be calmed down by former Liverpool player El Hadji Diouf, who was a guest at the stadium, after learning that he would not even be on the bench for the game.
“I have a lot to say but I will not say it here because we are in competition,” Onana told Canal Plus after the match. “Let me continue to be criticised, I am used to it. I do what is good for my country. It’s like choosing between my father and my mother, but my country comes first; that’s why I’m here. We are together. We are here to win [the tournament].”
Onana received plenty of criticism for his late arrival at the tournament, with former Tottenham defender Sébastien Bassong saying he had been ‘disrespectful’ for choosing to play for United a day earlier and putting his place at risk.
“It’s out of order from both sides,” Bassong told the BBC World Service. “It’s a low from Onana to even consider it. It sends such a bad message, not only for Cameroon, but for the respect people will have for the Africa Cup of Nations and for the way they should treat us, the equality.
“I like André, I’ll always have his back when I have to, but when things like that happen, the nation, the pride of the country and the continent is way above an individual person. For me, he should stay home and be punished.”
Onana will hope to reclaim his starting spot when Cameroon face Senegal on Friday, before they face Gambia in their final group game early next week.
He had pushed to represent United against Tottenham and deferred his call-up to Cameroon duty because he feared he could lose his status as the No.1 goalkeeper at the club. Altay Bayindir will be used in Onana’s absence and he joined United from Fenerbahce in the summer but has yet to make his debut.
Onana made his debut for Cameroon in 2016 and he featured at AFCON 2021. The ‘keeper made a crucial save on penalties to ensure his side secured a third-place finish at the tournament.
He started as Cameroon’s first-choice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but eventually withdrew from the squad after a fallout. He has since returned to the national team.
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