The end of Onana's journey with the Cameroon national team

As reported by The Sun, Onana was once more dropped from the Cameroon national team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after having been called back only a few days prior.

The African football community is shaken by the news André Onana will officially miss the AFCON tournament, amidst a severe power struggle within the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT). Once an indispensable pillar in goal, the goalkeeper born in 1996 has now become the biggest “victim” of the internal conflicts at the top, bringing his AFCON journey to an unexpected and unfortunate end.

According to insider sources, Onana got caught in the intense power tussle between two factions within FECAFOOT, led by President Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon’s head coach Marc Brys. This long-standing conflict erupted just before AFCON 2025, throwing Cameroonian football into unprecedented chaos. The climax was the announcement of two separate squad lists, clearly reflecting the ongoing power battle with no resolution in sight.

On Eto’o’s side, the former Barcelona star is believed to have pushed for Onana’s exclusion from the squad. Conversely, the Cameroon government and coach Marc Brys insisted on calling up the Manchester United goalkeeper currently on loan. However, FECAFOOT under Eto’o’s leadership acted first, releasing a 28-player list on December 1 following an emergency executive committee meeting. Notably, this list excluded not only Onana but also Eric Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar, two of Cameroon’s most experienced players.

The situation escalated when FECAFOOT appointed David Pagou as the national team head coach for AFCON instead of Marc Brys. Brys reacted strongly, refusing to accept his dismissal and issuing a second Cameroon squad list that included Onana, Choupo-Moting, and Aboubakar. This move stunned the public and raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the national team’s management.

In his anger, Marc Brys openly criticized Samuel Eto’o in the media. He stated:

“Eto’o’s goal has always been to get rid of me as quickly as possible. From the very first moment, he insulted me, and I responded. I am too big a competitor for him.”

Brys also condemned the FECAFOOT president’s approach, saying:

“Eto’o removed key players and leaders from the squad because he chose to. How can you compete in AFCON without a world-class goalkeeper? Or without Aboubakar? It’s unbelievable, but honestly, it doesn’t surprise me. It comes from a narcissistic, egotistical person who always thinks he’s the best.”

Legally, Brys claims he remains the legitimate head coach of Cameroon’s national team, emphasizing:

“Until there is an official document signed by the Presidential Office appointing Pagou as coach, in the eyes of the Cameroonian government, I am still the head coach. This has been the case in Cameroon for at least 30 years.”

Nevertheless, the reality is moving in an unfavorable direction for Onana. David Pagou is now officially recognized by FIFA as the head coach and has even held a press conference and worked with the new coaching staff appointed by Eto’o. More importantly, the Cameroonian government is said to have relaxed the requirement to include Onana in the squad, effectively ending the 29-year-old goalkeeper’s hopes of participating in AFCON.

Notably, Onana had proactively joined Trabzonspor on loan from Manchester United mainly to get regular playing time and prepare well for AFCON. However, all his efforts were rendered pointless by backstage turmoil. For Cameroon, missing a world-class goalkeeper like Onana is a significant loss. For the player himself, the national team will forever be a place of regret and injustice.