According to iNews, the United goalkeeper has made up his mind about featuring in the club’s upcoming Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and will thus miss his country’s 2023 African Cup of Nations opening game against Guinea. This decision has been approved by Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o.
Onana plans to play on Sunday and then on the same day take a flight to Ivory Coast to join the national squad less than 24 hours before their tournament opener. But it is unlikely that he will feature in the Indomitable Lions’ starting lineup.
If Cameroon bows out of the tournament from the group stage, the custodian will not miss a single Red Devils game as he will be back at the club before their next match which will not take place until January 27. The main reason why the former Inter star decided to join his national team this late is mainly due to his fear of losing his place in Erik ten Hag’s side to Turkey’s Altay Bayindir.
The 27-year-old had announced his retirement from international football after he was sent back home from the 2022 Qatar World Cup following a fallout with coach Rigobert Song over his style of play. He was recalled to the national squad 10 months after the World Cup row in September 2023 ahead of the team’s final round of AFCON qualifiers against Burundi.
Erik ten Hag’s side started the new year on a high by beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 on Monday. They will now hope to build on their momentum and get a positive result against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.