A second U-turn in Andre Onana’s international career is expected as a result of his nightmare with Manchester United.
When the 27-year-old from Inter Milan transferred to Old Trafford this summer for £38.3 million, it was widely regarded as a major coup. After David de Gea left, manager Erik ten Hag, who had previously worked with the custodian at Ajax, actively pursued his signature.
However, Onana hasn’t exactly looked confident so far at Old Trafford, making clear mistakes in the Champions League losses to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray. Less than a year after leaving the national setup, he returned to the Cameroon fold to help them qualify for the AFCON, risking the anger of his boss in the process.
After being sent home from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to an altercation with manager Rigobert Song, Onana initially retired from service with the Indomitable Lions. The 3-0 victory over Burundi on September 12 clinched Cameroon’s spot at the Nations Cup in the Ivory Coast in January, but he made a spectacular comeback to play in the match.
“I answer the call of my nation with an unshakeable certainty, aware that my return is not only to honour my dream, but also to meet the expectation and support of Cameroonians, who deserve a national team determined to shine,” he wrote in a social media post announcing his choice.
He might miss up to nine games for United if he were chosen for the competition. However, ESPN is now claiming that the custodian would make another U-turn after being selected for the national team to play in the games against Russia and Senegal in October.
Onana is thinking about postponing international participation once more in order to concentrate on restoring his form while he struggles at United. Before deciding to compete in the AFCON, he will now speak with Cameroon officials.
However, Ten Hag is under pressure to give Altay Bayndr a chance, therefore he currently faces a battle to keep his starting spot at United. The Turkish custodian, who was also a summer acquisition from Fenerbahce, has not yet made his Premier League debut for the team.
Onana has given up 11 goals in the league in seven games for his new team and an additional seven in two European contests. He had a stellar season in Italy, leading Inter to the Champions League final.
