- Onana missed Cameroon’s AFCON opener after choosing to remain with Man Utd
- Goalkeeper eventually linked up with squad but was still dropped for Monday’s game
- Reports claim Onana was furious with the decision
90Min | Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has confessed he has “a lot to say” after missing Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations clash with Guinea on Monday.
The stopper has faced major criticism for his decision to delay his arrival at the tournament, choosing to stick with United for the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur and miss his country’s opener against Zambia.
Onana jetted off for the tournament soon after the draw and, after some flight trouble, made it to the Guinea game before things got underway, only to discover he had been left out of the squad entirely. Reports have claimed the United stopper was furious with the decision.
In response to the controversy surrounding both his late arrival and his omission from the squad, Onana said: “I have a lot to say but I won’t say it here because we are in competition. The most important thing is sacred union. We are here to win. I ask the supporters to support us in good times and bad.
“I’m one of the leaders so I take my responsibilities and that’s why I’m here. I don’t want people to criticise the youngest. Let people continue to criticise me, I’m used to it, I do what is good for my country.
“It’s like choosing between my father and my mother, but my country comes first, that’s why I’m here. We’re together.
“I am here to represent my country, my continent. It is a huge honour for me to be here with my country. 40 years ago, our elders did something exceptional here. Coming to represent this beautiful country is the most important thing.
“Concerning my playing time, it is the coach who will decide. We are here to win no matter who is playing. We have very good goalkeepers.”
Cameroon manager Rigobert Song has previously played down Onana’s omission from the squad, suggesting the timing of his arrival made his inclusion against Guinea impossible.
“Andre, we all knew that [he wouldn’t play]. We need to stick to our logic,” Song said. “He arrived at 4am, how do you expect him to play at 5pm?
“He’s part of the group, he joined us at 4am, so he’s part of the squad. There’s the rest of the competition and I’m sticking with my full squad.”