Aheed Abrar
Manchester United shot-stopper Andre Onana will not play for Cameroon any time soon
Manchester United star Andre Onana is not expected to return to the international fold for Cameroon in the upcoming international fixtures, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Express].
The 27-year-old has not played for the Indomitable Lions since leaving the 2022 World Cup campaign midway. In Qatar, the shot-stopper had a falling out with manager Rigobert Song.
However, Onana was being tipped with a return to the national setup of the African team. Cameroon are set to take on Burundi on 12 September in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifications.
But the goalkeeper will not feature for the Indomitable Lions any time soon. It has been deemed ‘impossible’ for the former Inter Milan star to make his way back into Song’s team for now.
Therefore, United are set to have Onana available during the upcoming AFCON. The bi-annual tournament usually runs between January and February and a lot of top players often miss out on playing for their clubs during that period.
In the previous edition of AFCON, Cameroon made it to the semi-finals but lost to Egypt, who have Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in their ranks. The Red Devils’ shot-stopper played a key role for the Indomitable Lions in 2022.
However, it looks like Onana will be available for that crunch winter period for the Old Trafford side. The Cameroonian has put in some impressive displays at the start of the new season for the Manchester-based club.
The shot-stopper has looked comfortable with the ball at his feet. Erik ten Hag has Tom Heaton at his disposal as the backup goalkeeper. As for Dean Henderson, he is close to joining Crystal Palace this summer.
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Therefore, Onana’s decision to stay away from the national setup is arguably positive for United. However, he is still relatively young and it remains to be seen whether the Cameroonian will have a change of heart further down the line.
