International football is weird sometimes. A player who is a world-beater for his club will suddenly look like he doesn’t belong at that level with his national team. The reverse has been seen many times as well. Perhaps the most shocking example of this phenomenon is being seen right now at AFCON.
Fabrice Ondoa, Cameroon’s goalkeeper, is keeping Andre Onana out of the team.
To put it into perspective, Ondoa plays for Nimes, currently on the verge of getting relegated from the French third-division. That’s right, they could be out of France’s professional football system altogether at the end of the season.
In comparison, Onana needs no introduction. He’s Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper and after the Champions League final last year, was being heralded as the best goalkeeper in the world.
It is here that can be seen how much football is a confidence game.
Onana left United for international duty and started and belatedly played their second group fixture against Senegal.
He looked like an error waiting to happen. Cameroon conceded three and had one foot out of the exit door. Coach Rigobert Song put reputations to one side and called back Fabrice Ondoa, dropping Onana sensationally.
Cue Cameroon winning in remarkable circumstances against Gambia, securing their AFCON progress, and consigning Onana to the bench for the knockout stages.
A goalkeeper for whom United pleaded so he could play against Tottenham before leaving is now second-choice for his country in favour of Fabrice Ondoa.
What a mess for everyone involved.
To make matters even worse, Ondoa isn’t even the first-choice at Nimes. He has played just 13% of all available minutes, playing just two games for the side which has conceded 26 goals in 17 games in the French third division.
Altay Bayindir at Old Trafford can be forgiven for thinking that he’s getting the short end of the stick if United are moving heaven and earth to keep Onana as long as possible.
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