Never thought we’d see the day that Diouf would be calming someone else down.
Andre Onana reportedly had to be calmed down by El Hadji Diouf after he was left out of Cameroon’s squad for their Africa Cup of Nations opener.
Onana joined up with the squad after playing in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur the day before.
The ‘keeper had travelled over 5,000 miles to join up for their first game of the tournament against Guinea, only to be left out of the squad entirely.
Footage before the game showed Onana involved in a discussion with Hadji Diouf, in which the former Senegal star allegedly having to intervene in a bid to calm him down after hearing the news.
He was supposedly heard shouting: “If I wasn’t going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?”
André Onana est bien là.
Restez bien sûr @cplussportafr, il se pourrait qu’il vienne nous dire un mot. #AFCON2023 #GUICAM pic.twitter.com/8tsT5ma6rw— Lee-Roy Kabeya (@LRKabeya) January 15, 2024
Poor weather conditions meant he was unable to land in Yamoussoukro – where Cameroon were playing on Monday – and had to divert to Abidjan.
Onana was then forced to drive the final 150 miles and eventually arrived three hours before kick off and knew that he wouldn’t be starting the game but was shocked to see that Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu had been named ahead of him on the bench.
Cameroon boss Rigobert Song has had a fractured relationship with Onana in the past and the 27-year-old only returned to the international scene towards the end of last year after he retired in response to being sent home from the World Cup early.
Song meanwhile played down the significance of Onana’s absence, saying: “‘It’s logical, he arrived at 4 o’clock in the morning. How do you want him to play?”
Their opening game saw them held to a 1-1 draw against Guinea.
Mohamed Bayo gave Guinea a shock 10th minute lead before captain Francois Kamano was sent off for a stamp on Frank Magri shortly before the break.
Magri then equalised in the second half for Cameroon by heading in Georges-Kevin Nkoudou’s cross.
Related links:
- Andre Onana makes AFCON U-turn as Erik ten Hag insists ‘we are totally happy’
- Arsenal set to rival Manchester United for £50m Amadou Onana
- André Onana divided fans with one, repeated move against Liverpool
