DURO’S DOHA DIARY
More facts emerged yesterday on why Cameroon’s number one goalkeeper, Andre Onana, 26, was decamped from the Indomitable Lions on Monday, few hours before the Central Africans drew 3-3 with Serbia at the ongoing World Cup here in Qatar.
The Inter Milan shot stopper who left Doha yesterday morning, is believed to have returned to Yaounde through Paris.
THISDAY learnt from Cameroon camp here that attempt to reconcile him with Head Coach of the Indomitable Lions, Rigobert Song, appears to be heading for fruitful result until the leadership of their football federation insisted he must leave.
Onana who was between the sticks in Cameroon’s opening Group G clash with Switzerland was brilliant in that game. He was partly responsible for the low score of 0-1 suffered by the Lions.
He was indeed looking forward to helping Cameroon pick their first three points in their second game with Serbia when he was slammed with suspension from Lions’ camp.
Inside source in the Indomitable Lions’ den confided in THISDAY that what led to the rift between Onana and Song at the team’s post Switzerland match meeting did not warrant asking the former Ajax Amsterdam safe hands to leave the team. “At that meeting Head Coach Song wanted to get the feelings of each player on what they think happened that they did not win the match a Swiss-Cameroonian, Breels Embolo, scored the only goal to give Switzerland victory and three points. Player after player spoke and when it got to the turn of Onana, he simply told the coach that he considered it a mistake not to have started their best marksman, Vincent Aboubakar. He also insisted at the meeting that from his experience and the last man seeing all that was happening between the Cameroonian defenders, one of them namely Nicolas Nkoulou should not have started the match. Onana called for this rejigging of the team ahead of their next must-win match against Serbia. But Coach Song was displeased and saw that as an affront on his decision-making ability. It was this ego trip that led to the rift between the coach and his goalkeeper,” revealed the source in the Cameroonian camp to THISDAY. Song was also reported to have fired back at Onana, dismissing his frequent straying out of his goal area during the clash with Switzerland.
But in the pre-match conference before Cameroon played Serbia, Coach Song admitted there was an issue concerning Onana. He hinted of a disciplinary decision was in the coming but refused to admit that the World Cup was over for Onana. “Andre has now been left out for disciplinary reasons,” he explained. “I think we needed to make that decision. It was something that had to happen and maybe it was the trigger we needed for this performance (3-3 draw with Serbia).
“In a squad you need to see discipline and if you can’t fit in with that discipline, with what’s required to be part of a squad, then you need to accept responsibility for that. We don’t question his ability – he plays for one of the top teams in Europe – but you need to ensure the team takes precedence over the individual,” was how the coach explained the problem with the goalkeeper.
But later that Monday night, FECAFOOT’s Secretary General, Blaise Djounang, issued a statement, stressing that Onana had been suspended from the Cameroon squad based on ‘indiscipline’. “The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) reiterates its full support to the Head Coach and his entire staff as they implement the federation’s policy aimed at preserving discipline, complementarity and cohesion within the national team.”
Although another source revealed that there were attempts from sports authorities in Yaounde, Cameroon to settle the rift and allow Onana continue with the team ahead of their crunch Group G must-win clash with Brazil on Friday, FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o was reported to have refused such entreaties on behalf of the goalkeeper. It was when it became obvious that he was not going to be pardoned that Onana packed his bags and headed out of Doha. Italian journalist, Fabrizio Romano, confirmed Onana’s departure from Doha.
However, to put the record of all that transpired in the right perspective, Onana issued a statement yesterday, expressing his support for the team.
“I want to express my affection for my country and the national team. Yesterday (Monday), 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 experience, 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 teammates because we demonstrate 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,” Onana concluded in that press statement without going into specific details.
And so, as the Indomitable Lions head into their last Group G match against Brazil without their best goalkeeper, only a win against the South Americans who have already qualified on six points will prove if Eto’o and Song took the right decision on Onana and in the overall best interest of Cameroon football. Switzerland are second behind Brazil on three points with Cameroon having just one point from the draw with Serbia. The Serbs are at the bottom of the table on same one point as the Indomitable Lions.
