Despite his international retirement in the wake of an issue with his coach Rigobert Song during the 2022 World Cup, the goalkeeper Andre Onana is being claimed back by Cameroonian authorities.
Through a letter addressed to Inter Milan the Cameroonian Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, asked the Italian club for the “availability” of Andre Onana for the next installments of the Indomitable Lions.
The 27 year-old is one of the great architects of the qualification of the Lombard team in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
An invaluable talent that Cameroon does not benefit from. The player has announced his retirement from international football after his altercation with coach Rigobert Song during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I have the honor to inform you that the State of Cameroon, represented in international football competitions by the national team ‘Les Lions Indomptables’, has taken note of the press release from Mr. André Onana, resident of your prestigious and emblematic club ‘Inter Milan’, a press release whose terms could imply its withdrawal from this mythical national team”, we read on the note.
“However, given the observation that this declaration is the result of a regrettable misunderstanding with the technical staff after the first match during the competition mentioned above, and given the reaffirmation by the person concerned of his patriotic attachment to Cameroon and to the Indomitable Lions, also revealed in the same press release. We kindly ask you to allow this talented goalkeeper, who has so far been one of the strong links of this team, to satisfy his desire to continue to represent his country of origin and to make millions of compatriots dream, making him available to the Indomitable Lions as soon as needed”, the minister added.
This request is undoubtedly disconcerting, insofar as it is not Inter Milan who pose an obstacle to the presence of Onana, but rather the goalkeeper who has expressed his wish to take a step back from the national team.