Reuters learned that goalkeeper André Onana will miss Cameroon's opening match in the Africa Cup of Nations against Guinea next Monday after deciding to participate with Manchester United against Tottenham in the Premier League, which will take place the day before his national team's match. United and the Cameroonian Football Federation are discussing Onana's arrival date in Ivory Coast, after the player already postponed his travel to participate in the 2-0 victory over Wigan in the third round of the FA Cup last Monday.
Onana will miss the Cameroon match in Group C against Guinea, but he is expected to travel to participate in his team's matches against Senegal (January 19) and Gambia (January 23). The 27-year-old Onana withdrew from the Cameroon national team after a dispute with coach Rigobert Song during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but returned after reconciliation talks.
However, the goalkeeper retired from international play when he joined United from Inter Milan last July. His potential absence for up to four weeks, depending on how far Cameroon advances in the continental tournament, would be a shock to the English club. For this reason, the Cameroon national team has shown flexibility regarding the arrival date of the goalkeeper and appeared lenient with him. United coach Ten Hag informed reporters last week: "We are talking to the Cameroonian federation; the club raised this issue during discussions with André when he came here (in July from Inter Milan)."
