Andre Onana's participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ended in disappointment as Cameroon was defeated 2-0 by the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the round of 16.
The match, which took place at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on January 27, saw Ademola Lookman score a brace for Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Manchester United goalkeeper Onana was benched for the second consecutive game at the tournament by head coach Rigobert Song.
Andre Onana was left on the bench as an onlooker as Nigeria thrashed Cameroon 2-0 in the last-16 tie at the Africa Cup of Nations.
This marks the second consecutive match in which Onana has been omitted from the starting XI, with his cousin Fabrice Ondoa taking his place in goal.
Recall that Andre Onana was surprisingly omitted in Cameroon's clash against The Gambia.
Meanwhile, Onana's troubled AFCON campaign occurred after he chose to join his national team late.
The Manchester United goalkeeper faced difficulties after deciding to stay in England until January 14 for a game against Tottenham Hotspur which ended in a 2-2 draw. Thereafter, he flew to Ivory Coast to play in Cameroon's opening game against Guinea on January 15.
However, poor weather conditions delayed his journey to Ivory Coast as he arrived in the country hours before the kick-off of the game. Hence, he was left out of the matchday squad entirely. Cameroon eventually drew the game 1-1 in his absence.
Onana played his first and only game against Senegal four days later, but the reigning champions easily defeated Cameroon with a 3-1 scoreline.
In that game, Onana didn't make any saves and let in every shot, including a late goal from Sadio Mane that seemed to take forever to cross the line.
Supposedly enraged with this, Cameroon ex-player and now coach, Song benched him for their crucial match against Gambia and against Nigeria, opting for his cousin Fabrice Ondoa instead.
As a result, Onana's AFCON 2023 stats show one game, zero clean sheets, zero saves, and three goals conceded.
This terrible statistic comes after Onana was previously sent home from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to his strained relationship with the Cameroonian coach Song.
He thereafter retired from international football but reversed his decision for the 2023 AFCON. Unfortunately, it seems the decision backfired as he may regret his return to the team.
Meanwhile, Onana has previously expressed his disappointment in not being included in the starting line-up for the current AFCON tournament.
After traveling 5000 miles from England to join the Cameroon team, he directed his frustration towards the coaching staff for not being selected for the opening game against Guinea.
Questioning the purpose and the aftermath of his journey on a private jet to Ivory Coast, he said: “If I wasn't going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?"
Andre Onana is already back with Manchester United and might be seen in Premier League action against Wolves at Molineux Stadium on Thursday, February 1st. The kickoff time is 9:15 pm.
The match, which took place at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on January 27, saw Ademola Lookman score a brace for Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Manchester United goalkeeper Onana was benched for the second consecutive game at the tournament by head coach Rigobert Song.
Andre Onana was left on the bench as an onlooker as Nigeria thrashed Cameroon 2-0 in the last-16 tie at the Africa Cup of Nations.
This marks the second consecutive match in which Onana has been omitted from the starting XI, with his cousin Fabrice Ondoa taking his place in goal.
Recall that Andre Onana was surprisingly omitted in Cameroon's clash against The Gambia.
Meanwhile, Onana's troubled AFCON campaign occurred after he chose to join his national team late.
The Manchester United goalkeeper faced difficulties after deciding to stay in England until January 14 for a game against Tottenham Hotspur which ended in a 2-2 draw. Thereafter, he flew to Ivory Coast to play in Cameroon's opening game against Guinea on January 15.
However, poor weather conditions delayed his journey to Ivory Coast as he arrived in the country hours before the kick-off of the game. Hence, he was left out of the matchday squad entirely. Cameroon eventually drew the game 1-1 in his absence.
Onana played his first and only game against Senegal four days later, but the reigning champions easily defeated Cameroon with a 3-1 scoreline.
In that game, Onana didn't make any saves and let in every shot, including a late goal from Sadio Mane that seemed to take forever to cross the line.
Supposedly enraged with this, Cameroon ex-player and now coach, Song benched him for their crucial match against Gambia and against Nigeria, opting for his cousin Fabrice Ondoa instead.
As a result, Onana's AFCON 2023 stats show one game, zero clean sheets, zero saves, and three goals conceded.
This terrible statistic comes after Onana was previously sent home from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to his strained relationship with the Cameroonian coach Song.
He thereafter retired from international football but reversed his decision for the 2023 AFCON. Unfortunately, it seems the decision backfired as he may regret his return to the team.
Meanwhile, Onana has previously expressed his disappointment in not being included in the starting line-up for the current AFCON tournament.
After traveling 5000 miles from England to join the Cameroon team, he directed his frustration towards the coaching staff for not being selected for the opening game against Guinea.
Questioning the purpose and the aftermath of his journey on a private jet to Ivory Coast, he said: “If I wasn't going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?"
What's next?
Andre Onana is already back with Manchester United and might be seen in Premier League action against Wolves at Molineux Stadium on Thursday, February 1st. The kickoff time is 9:15 pm.