- The removal of Andre Onana from the staring squad for Cameroon moments before facing Serbia was a big blow
- Coach Rigobert Song cited disciplinary issues
- Onana, however, cited a disagreement in his style of play
The removal of Andre Onana from the staring squad for Cameroon moments before facing Serbia was a big blow, but coach Rigobert Song says disciplinary issues necessitated this action.
Onana, the goalkeeper for Inter Milan, was ready to take the in the crucial Group G match. Both teams must win this match to advance to the other round of the competition, but Song has his decision.
Numerous reports about an hour confirmed Onana’s absence before Cameroon’s match against Serbia at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah. Additionally, it appears that Song has disqualified the Inter ace entirely in response to his attitude.
Italian Sports journalist Fabrizio Romano intimates that Onana reportedly disagreed his coach regarding the goalkeeping technique the manager wanted him to adopt. Song wanted the 26-year-old to act more conventionally.
Andre Onana Cameroon. Photo by FIFPro
On the other hand, the Cameroonian goalkeeper said that he had no plans to alter his skill since the whole game is tight. According to COPE, Onana has departed the World Cup altogether as a result of the altercation and isn’t only missing from Cameroon’s team to face Serbia.
The No. 1 deemed the dispute “irreversible” and opted to withdraw from international duties in Qatar despite Samuel Eto’o’s efforts to compromise. Since then, Romano has attested to the fact that Onana has permanently ceased performing international duty.
After Onana’s outstanding performance against Switzerland, Song’s purported demand that the former Ajax goalie simplifies his goalkeeping technique surprises us. He took 61 touches in the opening game, the most of any goalkeeper in a World Cup game this year, showcasing his exceptional sweeping abilities.
Devis Epassy, who received just his sixth cap against Serbia in the Middle East, has taken Onana’s position in the Cameroon starting lineup. The 29-year-old earned his international debut on June 8, 2021, in a scoreless exhibition match against Nigeria for the mid-table Saudi Professional League team Abha.
Song made two changes from the 1-0 opening loss to Switzerland last week, with Epassy’s unexpected inclusion over Onana being one of them. Samuel Oum Gouet is replaced in midfield by Pierre Kunde, who also joins the fray. Cameroon will be the only team in Group G without a win if they suffer another loss on Monday, and they will play Brazil in MD3.
Andre Onana. Photo by SemperInter.com
The final morning kickoff of the 2022 World Cup features a star-studded lineup despite Onana’s absence. Karl Toko Ekambi, Bryan Mbeumo, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Frank Zambo Anguissa are all from Cameroon.
For Serbia, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Tadic, Nikola Milenkovic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic start.
Since 2010, Serbia has established itself as a reliable World Cup contender, and Qatar 2022 will be its third involvement in the last four competitions. Dragan Stojkovic also becomes their third World Cup manager, as their history of firing coaches shows no signs of abating.
Serbia made a strong impression during qualification, beating Portugal to the top spot in Group A. They will have to fight to advance from Group G of the competition, as Switzerland and Cameroon, two seasoned competitors, hope to contend with Brazil for a place in the round of 16.
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