El Hadji Diouf, in a surprising turn of events, found himself calming Andre Onana down. Onana, who had just participated in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, had flown over 5,000 miles to join Cameroon’s squad for their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Guinea. However, the squad did not include him.
Before the game, cameras captured Onana in a heated discussion with Diouf. The former Senegal star had to step in and soothe Onana, who was visibly upset about the news. Onana’s frustration was evident as he questioned the reason for his long journey on a private jet if he wasn’t going to play or even make the team.
Unfavorable weather conditions added to Onana’s woes. His inability to land in Yamoussoukro, where Monday’s game was taking place, forced him to divert to Abidjan. From there, he had to drive the remaining 150 miles. He arrived three hours before kick-off, aware that he wouldn’t start the game. However, the shock came when he found out that Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu were named on the bench ahead of him.
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Onana’s relationship with Cameroon boss Rigobert Song has been rocky. The 27-year-old goalkeeper only made his return to the international scene late last year after retiring due to an early send-off from the World Cup. Song, however, downplayed Onana’s absence, stating it was logical given his late arrival at 4 o’clock in the morning.
Cameroon’s opening game ended in a 1-1 draw against Guinea. Guinea took an early 10th-minute lead with a goal from Mohamed Bayo. However, their captain, Francois Kamano, received a red card for stamping on Frank Magri. Magri later equalized for Cameroon in the second half, heading in Georges-Kevin Nkoudou’s cross.
