Cameroon Sports Minister Recalls Andre Onana From Retirement

Cameroon’s minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi has written a letter to the President of Italian heavy weights Inter Milan to request for the return of goalkeeper Andre Onana to the national team.

Aged 27 and with 34 caps, the Inter Milan goalkeeper ended his international career after the 2022 World Cup during which he was excluded from the group for “indiscipline”, without specifying the reasons for this sidelining.

The former Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper was a starter during the African Cup of Nations in January-February, where Cameroon, the host country, finished third. He was the goalkeeper for the Indomitable Lions in the first match of the World Cup against Switzerland, in which they lost 1-0.

But Onana was then removed from the group for “indiscipline”, as announced by Cameroon coach Rigobert Song on November 28, after the second group match against Serbia (3-3).

Since the net-minder’s retirement from international football, the indomitable Lions have had to throw its weight behind Davis Epassy, who was default second choice in Onana’s tenure.

Fast forward from the world cup to the AFCON qualifiers, the Indomitable Lions are in some sort of trouble as they’re placed second in group C with an awkward fixture yet to come Against Burundi.

Sportglitz can now confirm that the Cameroonian state through its Minister of sports has recalled Andre Onana, in ⁴a letter addressed to Inter president.

Part of the letter reads:

“I have the honor to let you know that the state of Cameroon, represented in international competitions by the indomitable Lions, took note of Andre Onana’s retirement communique. This keeper of your prestigious and emblematic institution, put an end to his international career after the conclusion of the FIFA world cup.

“This, courtesy of a misunderstanding with the technical staff after the Indomitable Lions first game. The latter’s reaffirmation of patriotism was noted in his communique.

“We ask of you to permit this goalkeeper who has up till this point been a pillar to our national team, to return from his decision, and continue to represent his country of origin, so as to make the younger generation dream. We count on your consideration and diligence.”

Andre Onana is seeded first in the ranking of most decisive players for UEFA in Europe’s most prestigious champions league competition.

Onana and Inter are through to the champions league semis where they put familiar foes AC Milan in the last four.

A queue of clubs, notably Chelsea, are interested in the La Masia graduate and Inter will find it hard to keep the goalie.

The Cameroonian state is noted to intervene when key players throw in the towel. Onana is one of them after Albert Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o respectively made a U-turn after retiring from International duty.