Andre Onana 'has agreed' to play for Cameroon at AFCON 2024

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :November 2, 2023 at 4:17 AM

Modified at :November 2, 2023 at 4:22 AM

Andre Onana 'has agreed' to play for Cameroon at AFCON 2024

Onana will miss key fixtures in January and February

Andre Onana has reportedly chosen to accompany his Cameroon teammates in the upcoming AFCON 2024, meaning he will miss several important Manchester United games, reports suggest.

After a conflict with Cameroon's manager Rigobert Song, the prior Inter custodian had earlier withdrawn from the national team and was left out of the 2022 World Cup roster in the latter stages of the competition in Qatar. But the two have moved over their disagreements, and Onana has been added back to the national team.

After his return, he played in two friendlies during the October international break: one against Senegal and the other an AFCON qualification against Burundi.

Onana has granted permission to represent The Indomitable Lions in the continental competition, which is scheduled to begin in the Ivory Coast on January 13, according to iNews.

United will be forced to absent Onana's help for four Premier League games, two FA Cup matches, and possibly a Carabao Cup semifinal if Cameroon performs well and advances to the championship.

After saving a late penalty to preserve the three points in United's narrow Champions League victory against FC Copenhagen last week, Onana seems to be progressively settling in at his new team.

In addition to being one of the best players in the team's 3-0 derby loss to Manchester City last weekend, he received additional recognition for his performances when, following an outstanding season with the Nerrazurri, he placed 23rd in the 2023 Ballon d'Or voting.

If Onana grants Song's request to play internationally, United will have to rely on Altay Bayindir, the summer signing of a Turkish custodian from Fenerbahce. Onana will, meanwhile, remain in goal for United in the near term as they play Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday and host Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.