Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has broken his silence after being axed from his side’s World Cup squad and claims there was ‘no will’ from his manager to resolve the situation.
Shortly before the African side were due to face Serbia in Monday’s thrilling 3-3 draw, news emerged that Onana – who is his country’s number one keeper – had fallen out with manager Rigobert Song.
The Cameroon boss is believed to have asked his shot-stopper, who came through the academy at Barcelona and spent several years at Ajax, to change his natural style and play more direct with fewer risks.
But Onana took umbrage with the suggestions prompting a row between player and coach which ultimately saw the 25-year-old removed from the matchday squad and replaced in the starting XI to face Serbia by Devis Epassy.
Song opened the door to a potential return afterwards, while Samuel Eto’o is believed to have acted as a peacemaker, but Onana claims he was unable to resolve his differences with the Cameroon boss.
In a statement released on social media on Tuesday, Onana wrote: ‘I want to express my affection for my country and the national team.
‘Yesterday I was not allowed to be on the ground to help Cameroon, as I always do, to achieve the team’s goals. I always behaved in a way to lead the team to success in a good manner.
‘I have put all my efforts and energy into finding solutions to a situation that a footballer often experiences, but there has been no will on the other side.
‘Some moments are difficult to assimilate. However, I always respect and support the decisions of the people in charge of pursuing the success of our team and country.
‘I extend all my strength to my team-mates because we demonstrated that we are capable of going very far in this competition.
‘The values that I promote as a person and as a player are the ones that identify me, and that my family has given me since my childhood. Representing Cameroon has always been a privilege. The nation first and forever. Thank you!’
Speaking about the drama surrounding Onana, Song said: ‘There are 26 players in this team working for this competition together and we want to show that spirit of discipline and respect. We are here to prove it. He is a great goalkeeper, but we focus on the team.
‘You have to adapt to the discipline of the team. If you can’t do it, if you can’t adapt to what we ask of this team, I think it’s necessary to step aside and take responsibility. The team is more important than the individuals. I accept responsibility for the decision.’
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