2023 AFCON: Onana misses Cameroon vs Guinea clash despite hiring private jet to report for national duty

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

By the growing momentum and unfolding episodes, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on-going in Cote d’Ivoire will go down as the most talked about continental contest ranging from its landmark opening to its thrilling opening matches among other things.

Yet, the sports family globally will leave to remember Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana for his show of commitment to his national team, “the Indomitable Lions” as he hired a private jet from the Liverpool Airport to join his national teammates in camp at for the confidential race in the 2023 AFCON host nation Cote d’Ivoire.

While it's rear for most African footballers to book a private jet to report for national team duty, Onana now leads the part to have made such history in recent times grace for former Sierra Leone International Kei Ansu Kamara who similarly enjoyed riding a private jet from his home country some 24 months ago courtesy of his former US club Minnesota United   who sent him a private jet to pick him up from the Lungi Airport following Sierra Leone's historic 4-4 draw with Nigeria in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers.

However, Onana’s ambitious move became bitter-sweet, after his chartered flight was reportedly being stopped for a while due to bad weather preventing him to report in camp earlier than he had expected thus he didn’t get the cut to represent his in their AFCON opening game against Sierra Leone’s Mano River Union neighbours, Guinea. 

Having raced in about 5000 miles to beat time, the Cameroon goalie still missed out from being included in Rigobert Song’s Cameroon squad that faced Gambia in their 1-1 AFCON opener on Monday, but says he’s not bothered .

Reacting to his bitter-sweet Monday, the young goalkeeper said he did what he did because his national team comes first. He stressed that he had no regret to have hired a private plane. “I’m not bothered by critics over my decision,” he added, admitting that he had a lot of things to say but won't say at the moment because they’re in competition. 

Cameroon next match will be against the defending champions, Senegal on Thursday and their coach who’s promised to correct his team’s mistakes against Guinea is likely to include Andre Onana on his match squad list.

For him the most important thing is “a sacred union to win the AFCON,” he remarked, asking supporters to support Cameroon in good times and bad times. “I am one of the leaders so I take my responsibilities and that is why I am here. I don't want people to criticize the youngest. Let people continue to criticize 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,” he added.

On the other hand, Onana’s national team coach Rigobert Song has revealed that the goalie arrived at 4:00 A.M just 13 hours to their opening game against Guinea and everyone that the Cameroon camp knew Onana was not going to play. Song argued that he had to snub the goalie for the said match “in order to stick to their team logic.”

“We need to stick to our team logic. He arrived at 4AM, How do you expect him to play at 5PM? He’s part of the group, so he’s part of the squad. There is the rest of the competition and I’m sticking to my full squad,” the Indomitable Lions coach said in an interview with Bein sport on Monday night.

Although Samuel Eto, Mo Salah, Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang and a few other African footballers are owners of private jets, Onana’s bold move to book a private flight to report for national duty from his club which is estimated to have reportedly cost him at least $21,000 for his seven hours long ride is considered a value addition to African players and a key indicator to growth of football in Africa.