Andre Onana’s decision before linking up with the Cameroon national team for the African Cup of Nations stirred controversy, leading to subsequent criticism.
Onana was absent from Cameroon’s initial tournament match in Ivory Coast on Monday, as he was permitted to remain at Manchester United and participate in their 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
He boarded a charter plane overnight to the Ivory Coast following the Old Trafford match, arriving just hours before the Group C clash against Guinea, where Cameroon rallied to secure a 1-1 draw after falling behind.
Allowing the 27-year-old to skip the tournament’s opening match sparked controversy among Cameroon supporters.
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Onana spoke to reporters about the challenging balance of loyalty between club and country, particularly for African internationals compelled to depart their European clubs midway through the season for the Cup of Nations.
He said:
“It’s like choosing between my father and my mother, but my country comes first, that’s why I’m here.”
“Let people continue to criticise me. I’m used to it. I do what is good for my country.”
Onana has a chequered history with Cameroon after breaking through into the team while still a teenager at Ajax Amsterdam.
He turned down a call-up to the 2017 Cup of Nations finals, which Cameroon went onto win,
and at the last World Cup in Qatar was sent home after one match following a row with coach Rigobert Song, which has since been patched up.
But he did compete at the last edition of the Cup of Nations two years ago, just months after returning from a lengthy doping ban.
Cameroon is set to confront Senegal tomorrow, and the anticipation lingers over whether Onana will be included in the lineup, as the team earnestly seeks a victory.
