Andre Onana recalled for Cameroon AFCON qualifier
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has returned from his Cameroon exile after being recalled ahead of their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Onana was dropped from the World Cup squad last year after enduring a heated argument with manager Rigobert Song over his style of play, with the stopper thought to have been told to adopt a more risk-free approach on the ball.
He was subsequently sent home and dramatically quit international football after the tournament in Qatar, but has this month performed a dramatic U-turn.
The 27-year-old was selected in a 24-man group for the qualifier against Burundi on September 12, with Cameroon requiring just a draw to advance to the tournament.
However, due to the scheduling of the AFCON, which runs from January 13 to February 11 next year, Onana may be ruled out for his club for up to a month.
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Their run of fixtures begins with a crucial showdown against Tottenham at Old Trafford, before they face Wolves, West Ham and finally, Aston Villa.
An early exit for Cameroon would see Onana report back sooner than expected.
But in his absence, Ten Hag will be able to call upon the incoming Altay Bayindir, who is set to complete his move once Dean Henderson joins Crystal Palace. Tom Heaton, a prominent face during pre-season, will remain at the club as a back-up.
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Onana has been awarded 34 caps by Cameroon to date and is likely to be installed as their No 1 once again despite his previous disagreement with boss Song.
Shortly after the row, it was claimed by Helena Condis Edo that Onana viewed the relationship as ‘irreversible’ regardless of attempts from Samuel Eto’o, the legendary former striker and Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) president, to mediate.
Sensationally, though, it has emerged that a former Fecafoot executive has pinned the blame on Eto’o for Onana’s exile and savaged the senior figure as ‘mean’.