Andre Onana 'considering missing AFCON due to Manchester United struggles'

By Ben Sully | 06 October 2023

Andre Onana 'considering missing AFCON due to Man United struggles'

Andre Onana is reportedly reluctant to play for Cameroon at January's Africa Cup of Nations following a difficult start to his Manchester United career.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is reportedly reluctant to play for Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations following a difficult start to his career in England.

After making 41 appearances during his one season with Inter Milan, Onana swapped Serie A for the Premier League over the summer.

The 27-year-old completed a £47.3m transfer to Man United, reuniting with Erik ten Hag after previously working with the Dutchman at Ajax.

Having been immediately installed as Ten Hag's number one, Onana has played all 10 of Man United's competitive matches this season.

Despite being a regular fixture in the Man United side, he has struggled to produce the form that he showed at Inter and Ajax.

Manchester United's Andre Onana and Victor Lindelof celebrate after the match on September 26, 2023 © Reuters

Onana has conceded 18 goals in 10 games and his start to life at Old Trafford has been hampered by a number of costly errors, including in Wednesday's 3-2 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray.

The goalkeeper gifted possession away to Galatasaray's Dries Mertens, which ultimately led to Casemiro being sent off after bringing down the attacker in the penalty box.

According to ESPN, Onana's poor form has left him weighing up whether to represent Cameroon in January's Africa Cup of Nations.

Onana previously retired from international football following the 2022 World Cup after a falling out with head coach Rigobert Song.

However, following pressure from the government and the Cameroonian FA, he returned to the national setup in September to help his side beat Burundi 3-0 and secure their place in January's tournament in Ivory Coast.

Manchester United's Andre Onana on September 26, 2023 © Reuters

There is a belief that Onana is reluctant to take part in the tournament because it would result in the goalkeeper missing a month of Man United's season.

As it stands, Onana wants to prioritise his club football, and he is keen to show his commitment to Ten Hag's side.

The shot-stopper is due to link up with his national squad for friendlies against Russia and Senegal following Saturday's Premier League home meeting with Brentford.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag has admitted that he would speak with Onana following the midweek defeat to Galatasaray, but he has backed the summer signing to find his best form.