Andre Onana observed from the sidelines on Tuesday night as Cameroon staged a late comeback against Gambia, securing a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout rounds after narrowly avoiding potential elimination in the group stage.
The Manchester United goalkeeper’s arrival in Ivory Coast, the host country, was delayed due to his commitment to the club. Unfortunately, he missed Cameroon’s opening Group C fixture against Guinea, which ended in a 1-1 draw due to travel delays caused by adverse weather conditions.
In the subsequent match against Senegal, Onana had the opportunity to play but couldn’t make any saves in the 3-1 defeat. Coach Rigobert Song, with whom Onana had a falling out during the 2022 World Cup, leading to an early departure and a nine-month hiatus from international duty, decided to drop the £47m star. Instead, Fabrice Ondoa, Onana’s cousin and a backup for the third-tier French side Nimes, was reinstated in the starting lineup.
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Despite Ondoa conceding twice against Gambia, ranked 126th in the world by FIFA, Cameroon managed to score three goals, securing second place in the final group standings. Until the last few minutes of the game, Cameroon was poised to finish third in the group, facing potential elimination. However, a late own goal and an extraordinary 91st-minute winner by Christopher Wooh secured their advancement to the knockout stage.
Cameroon now joins Senegal in automatically progressing to the last 16, with Guinea already securing one of the third-place berths regardless of outstanding group fixtures.
For Onana, it remains uncertain whether Song will reintegrate him into the team or if Ondoa, despite his unconventional club career, will continue as the goalkeeper for the remainder of Cameroon’s tournament. Their next match is against Nigeria on Saturday.
Back in Manchester, United’s season progresses without Onana, as they resume their campaign in the FA Cup against Newport County. Summer signing Altay Bayindir is expected to make his United debut in that tie after spending the season so far as Onana’s backup. Depending on Cameroon’s AFCON performance, Bayindir might retain the gloves for upcoming Premier League fixtures against Wolves, West Ham, and Aston Villa.