Andre Onana is seeking to postpone his departure from Manchester United in anticipation of Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign. The goalkeeper, having resolved his exile from the national team, has been included in Cameroon’s squad for the upcoming tournament.
Despite Cameroon being considered strong contenders for success at AFCON, their journey is set to commence on January 15 with a match against Guinea. According to ESPN, Onana is currently in discussions with the Cameroonian Football Association to potentially delay his call-up until after Manchester United’s FA Cup third-round clash on January 8 against Wigan Athletic, a match that involves a short trip to the League One side.
Cameroon is scheduled to embark on a pre-tournament training camp in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of January, featuring a friendly against Zambia. Following their opening match against Guinea, they are slated to face Gambia and the highly-regarded Senegal in the group stage.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
Onana’s potential absence from Manchester United could extend to a maximum of seven matches during his time with Cameroon, including fixtures against Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves, West Ham United, and Aston Villa in early February. Furthermore, Onana would miss any FA Cup third-round replay with Wigan, as well as a fourth-round tie and any subsequent replays if required.
In Onana’s absence, manager Erik ten Hag is expected to turn to fellow summer signing Altay Bayindir, the Turkish international who has yet to make an appearance for United since joining from Fenerbahce.