Andre Onana ‘WILL represent Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations next January’… leaving Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag facing up to seven matches without his No 1 goalkeeper
- Andre Onana recently returned to international football after quitting in 2022
- Erik ten Hag’s other goalkeeping options are Tom Heaton and Altay Bayindir
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Andre Onana will reportedly play for Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations early in 2024, despite previously quitting international football.
The tournament will run through January and into February, meaning Manchester United could be left without their first-choice goalkeeper for seven games.
Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that Onana was considering whether to go to the tournament.
Onana retired from international football in December after the World Cup following a row with head coach Rigobert Song, but returned for the final AFCON qualifier against Burundi in September and played against Senegal last month.
Now, i reports that the 27-year-old wants to play in the tournament, although his shaky start at Manchester United made him doubt whether he should go.
Andre Onana has reportedly said he wants to play at the Africa Cup of Nations early next year
He quit international football last December after a sensational row with Rigobert Song but has recently returned
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A source close to the player told i: ‘At the moment he plans to play in every game he is called up for.’
Were Cameroon to go all the way to the final, Onana would miss four Premier League games, potentially two FA Cup ties, and maybe a Carabao Cup semi-final.
The tournament runs from January 13 to February 11.
With Onana absent, Erik ten Hag would face a selection dilemma.
United’s back-up options are Altay Bayindir, who they signed from Fenerbache for £4.2million in the summer, and Tom Heaton.
It marks a strong U-turn from last December, when he was expelled from the Cameroonian World Cup squad after a shouting match with Song over goalkeeper playing styles.
Song reportedly lambasted Onana for playing too riskily with his feet and he was replaced by Devis Epassy.
It could leave Erik ten Hag with a selection headache for seven games in three competitions
Tom Heaton is one of the options that Manchester United could turn to in Onana’s absence
Altay Bayindir, who is yet to play for the club, is another option that Ten Hag could turn to
At the time, Onana reportedly saw his relationship with the team as ‘irreversible’ despite attempts from Cameroon Football Federation president and iconic former striker Samuel Eto’o to mediate talks between him and Song.
While fans sometimes express discontent with players participating in AFCON, a mid-season tournament, it is of equal value to other international tournaments.
Sebastien Haller slammmed the ‘disrespect’ towards the competition when asked by reporters in 2021 if he would play in AFCON.
He said: ‘This question shows the disrespect for Africa. Would this question ever get asked to a European player ahead of the Euros? Of course I am going to the Africa Cup [of Nations].’
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