Rigobert Song Bahanag will have to do without Cameroon’s first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana Onana during their first outing in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and probably the rest of the tournament.
Reports emanating from the UK have it that, the Cameroon international has opted to stay back in Manchester and feature for his club on January 14 against Tottenham Hotspur in a crunch Premier League fixture which could play a telling role in their season.
It is understood that this decision has been approved by the government of Cameroon after due consultation with the country’s football federation.
The former Ajax Amsterdam stopped will fly to Côte D’Ivoire to join the rest of his international colleagues 24 hours before their first game in the tournament against Guinea in Yamousoukro.
It’s unlikely Song will pick Onana for the game, thus making him available for their second group stage game against Senegal on January 19 and against the Gambia four days later.
The 27-year-old was set to miss up to six games for United but the Red Devils reached an agreement with Cameroon that he report on January 14 meaning he will feature on Sunday.
Onana had retired from international duty last year following a fall out with manager Rigobert Song at the Qatar World Cup but returned in September.
Onana has endured a noisy build up to his third AFCON tournament and will be his team’s attraction whenever he arrives Côte D’Ivoire for the 34th edition of the continental soccer jamboree.
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