Andre Onana to delay AFCON call-up to face Tottenham Hotspur – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United have reached a compromise with the Cameroonian FA for Andre Onana to delay his call-up for the African Cup of Nations until after the match against Tottenham Hotspur.

David Ornstein (The Athletic) revealed the “amicable agreement” between all parties on X (formerly known as Twitter).

🚨 Andre Onana will travel to Africa Cup of Nations after Man Utd v Spurs on Jan 14. Goalkeeper available for Cameroon v Guinea on Jan 15. Amicable agreement reached between all parties to maximise club and country game time @TheAthleticFC #AFCON2023 #MUFC https://t.co/G2mNgCXhzY

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 3, 2024

Ornstein writes “Onana will travel to AFCON after Man Utd vs Spurs on January 14th. Goalkeeper available for Cameroon vs Guinea on January 15th.”

It constitutes quite a remarkable concession by Cameroon given Onana will be facing a seven hour flight overnight in between the two games.

Ornstein reveals the agreement was made to allow the goalkeeper to “maximise” playing time for his club and country.

Cameroon begin their African Cup of Nations campaign against Guinea, meaning Onana will not miss a single minute of tournament football by delaying his meet-up time.

However, it comes as a blow to Altay Bayindir, and hardly reflects well on the management’s trust in the player.
With an FA Cup fixture against Wigan Athletic on January 8th, it would have served as a perfect introduction for the backup goalie before the marquee clash against Spurs.

However, with this announcement, it is certain that Bayindir will be forced into the deep end with a fixture away to high-flying Wolves.

Depending upon Cameroon’s progress in the tournament, he might also miss the game away at Aston Villa, with Bayindir being called into action.

There’s a home game against West Ham United sandwiched between these two games which Onana will definitely miss.

Therefore, while United will certainly count this report as an immediate win for themselves, it could backfire in the long run, in true United fashion post-Sir Alex.