Cameroon Stumble in AFCON Draw With 1 -1 Draw, Onana’s Surprise Absence Explained
Cameroon’s campaign in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) got off to a shaky start as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Guinea in their Group C opener.
Despite having a numerical advantage for a significant part of the game, the Indomitable Lions failed to capitalize on the situation.
Rigobert Song, the coach of the Cameroonian team, sheds light on the omission of Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, and both coaches share their insights on the challenging match.
Cameroon’s Onana Problem
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana found himself excluded from the Cameroon squad despite joining the camp in Ivory Coast.
Andre Onana’s is one of the most shocking absentees the tournament
Rigobert Song clarified the decision, stating:
“No, Andre [Onana], we all know that [he wouldn’t play].
“We need to stick to our logic.” He arrived at 4 am, how do you expect him to play at 5 pm? He is part of the squad.”
Cameroon vs Guinea recap
Cameroon faced a slow start, conceding a goal as early as the 10th minute against Guinea.
Rigobert Song acknowledged the difficulty, stating:
“The start of the match was difficult for us, especially in the first 30 minutes. You know how it has been at the start of this tournament.”
Rigobert Song was disappointed about Cameroon’s recent result.
Missed Opportunities
Despite Guinea going a man down in the first half, Cameroon struggled to capitalize on the numerical advantage.
Song admitted, “We controlled the flow of the match, but we were not able to score the second goal of the match to take the victory.”
Defending champions Senegal await Cameroon in their next match, and Song remains optimistic about correcting their mistakes.
He said, “We will correct the mistakes, and in the next four days, the players will know their mission.
“For my part, I will work with my assistants on the technical team to correct the problems we encountered.”
Mali coach give his perspective
Mali coach Kaba Diawara, on the other hand, complained about the red card that Guinea received, altering their game plan.
Diawara commented, “This red card changes our plans.
“We had prepared our case well, but playing 10 against 11 with the game we are presenting is very complicated.”
Diawara explained why star player Naby Keita remained on the bench, stating, “Naby, it was planned for him to come back.
Naby Keita was on the bench for Guinea.
“We had a plan, a match scenario which was completely turned upside down [by Kamano’s red card]. That’s the only reason he [Keita] didn’t come in.”
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