Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is reportedly considering another international U-turn that would see him sit out the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Sent home from 2022 World CupNow back in favourEarly struggles at Old TraffordWHAT HAPPENED?
The 27-year-old shot-stopper was expected to head off with Cameroon in January 2024 after coming out of retirement with his country. He had ruled himself out of contention for selection after being sent home from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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Onana is now back in Rigobert Song’s plans and has been selected for games against Russia and Senegal during the October international break. He will link up with that squad, but reports that no decision has been made on his participation in AFCON – which is due to get underway in the Ivory Coast on January 13, 2024.
DID YOU KNOW?
That is because Onana is reluctant to take time away from United after enduring a slow start to his spell in England. The former Ajax and Inter keeper has made a number of costly errors since moving to Old Trafford in a £47 million ($57m) transfer.
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Onana has attracted plenty of criticism for his performances, but former United star Dimitar Berbatov has told of a proven performer that he still expects to come good: “The goalkeeper position is a difficult, strange, and sensitive one. Goalkeepers are a different breed in a way. Onana is going to be the no.1, for sure. But his confidence is causing him to make mistakes. You can see that from his body language against Galatasaray. Sometimes, he forgets that he's playing smart players. Other players will be studying how Onana plays, and they will bait him into playing certain passes. That's exactly what happened against Galatasaray. He needs to maintain his confidence but tone it down a bit and think more about who you're playing and how they're playing. I've watched Onana play before, and he's always been the same and I like that. Nowadays, you must play out from the back so it's good to have Onana because he's good with the ball at his feet. Having said that, I've played football myself and confidence can sometimes play tricks on you and cause you to make mistakes. Man United signed Onana for a reason. He's a great goalkeeper and he'll continue to play the way he has been because Erik ten Hag loves that type of football.”
