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Excluded from the Indomitable Lions group before the end of the first round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, André Onana announced on Friday, December 23, that he will no longer wear the Cameroon jersey. The goalkeeper believes that his history with the national team ” has ended ».
Unless the situation changes in the future, André Onana will never know a 35th international cap. And the defeat of Cameroon, on November 24 when they entered the World Cup in Qatar against Switzerland (1-0), will remain as his last appearance with the Indomitable Lions. In a message posted on Twitter, the doorman formalized his international retirement.
Wearing the Cameroon jersey was an honor for him. ” I can proudly say that I achieved my biggest dream “Writes the Inter Milan player. ” However, every story, no matter how beautiful, has an end. And my story with the Cameroon national team has come to an end », continues André Onana, who recalls that « players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player (sic) ».
« Cameroon is eternal, like my love for the national team »
At 26, the former resident of FC Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam therefore bids farewell to the selection. A very sad end to this World Cup for him. After the inaugural defeat against Switzerland, André Onana was removed from Rigobert Song’s group pour « indiscipline “, According to the coach. ” In a group you have to respect the rules, I prefer to preserve the group than the individualities Song had dropped. Onana was therefore absent in the second match against Serbia (3-3), Devis Epassy replacing him on the field.
On November 29, the goalkeeper assured, in a press release, that he had ” always behaved appropriately » and that he had done everything for « untie the ties of an ambiguous situation », while respecting the decisions made. André Onana then had left Qatar, before the third match won against Brazil (1-0). A prestigious result but insufficient for the Indomitable Lions to qualify for the knockout stages.
In his message announcing his international retirement, André Onana does not return to the reasons which led him to make this decision, nor to what went wrong in Qatar during the World Cup. ” Cameroon is eternal. Also eternal is my love for the national team and for our people who have always supported us, no matter how difficult the moment. My feeling will never change. My Cameroonian heart will continue to beat, and wherever I go, I will always fight to carry my country as high as possible. “, he promises.
