Andre Onana at risk of missing AFCON opener | OneFootball

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is at risk of missing Cameroon’s opening match in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

A video posted by EuroFoot on X shows the Man United shot-stopper aboard a private jet, flying to the Ivory Coast to meet up with his teammates ahead of their AFCON opener on Monday night.

According to The Daily Mail, Onana posted the video to Snapchat at around 11 pm, suggesting that he departed shortly after leaving Old Trafford following Sunday’s Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.

The British newspaper added that while Onana will meet up with the Cameroonian squad in time for their AFCON Group C opener against Guinea, he will most likely remain on the bench, with his distant cousin Fabrice Ondoa starting in goal.

This may be good news given that Onana may not in fact make it to Ivory Coast in time despite his timely departure from Old Trafford.

The Manchester Evening News reported that Onana’s private jet was prevented from taking off again after arriving in Abidjan, Ivory Coast this morning due to bad weather conditions in Yamoussoukro – his final destination where Cameroon will play their AFCON opener.

Although Onana has returned to the Cameroon national team following a prolonged absence, he nevertheless made sure to play for Man United as often as he could ahead of AFCON.

Last week, The Peoples Person confirmed Onana’s decision to miss Cameroon’s AFCON opener in order to represent United.

Unfortunately, there was little he could do to change United’s fortunes following an underwhelming team display in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

While United fans may view Onana’s decision to depart late for AFCON as an admirable one given his dedication to the club, not everyone was satisfied with the goalkeeper’s decision.

Former Cameroon international Sebastien Bassong expressed disappointment in the 27-year-old’s decision, suggesting that Onana had shown disrespect toward his national team and the AFCON competition.

“It sends such a bad message for not only Cameroon but for the respect that people will have for Afcon and the way they should treat us. If we can’t even respect ourselves, how can we expect other people to treat us any different? For me, Andre Onana is shooting us and himself in the foot,” Bassong exclaimed.

Should Cameroon be eliminated from the group stage of the tournament, Onana will likely not miss any United matches, with the club next playing in the FA Cup on January 28.

If Cameroon make it to the AFCON final, however, Onana could miss up to four fixtures, leaving United to rely on backup keeper Altay Bayindir.