André Onana is a Cameroonian professional footballer who serves as a goalkeeper for Manchester United in the Premier League and represents the Cameroon national team.
Early life
André Onana Onana was born on April 2, 1996 in Nkol Ngok, Cameroon.
Career
Onana joined Barcelona from the Samuel Eto’o Academy at the age of 14 in 2010. Due to being under 18 and a non-EU citizen, Onana was loaned to Cornellà’s youth team for the 2012-13 season and to Vista Alegre’s first team the following season.
In January 2015, it was announced that Onana would join Dutch club Ajax in July 2015, though the transfer was expedited, allowing him to debut for Jong Ajax in the Eerste Divisie in February 2015. Onana signed a new contract with Ajax in May 2017, extending until 2021, and renewed again in March 2019 to extend until June 2022. In November 2019, he expressed interest in playing in the English Premier League.
In February 2021, UEFA banned Onana for 12 months after he tested positive for Furosemide, a banned substance. Onana claimed he had mistakenly taken his wife’s medicine, and Ajax supported his appeal. The ban was later reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in June.
In January 2022, rumors linked Onana with a transfer to Inter Milan. In May 2022, he confirmed his departure from Ajax after seven and a half years, during which he made 214 appearances across all competitions.
On July 1, 2022, Inter Milan confirmed Onana’s signing on a five-year contract as a free transfer. In January 2023, he won the Supercoppa Italiana against AC Milan, followed by a Coppa Italia victory over Fiorentina in May 2023. Onana played a crucial role in leading Inter to the 2023 Champions League Final.
On July 16, 2023, reports surfaced that Onana had agreed to personal terms with Manchester United for a five-year contract. The transfer was confirmed on July 20, with an initial fee of £43.8 million, potentially rising by £3.4 million in add-ons, reuniting Onana with his former Ajax coach, Erik ten Hag.
Onana made his competitive debut for Manchester United in the Premier League opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory. However, controversy arose when a late penalty was not awarded for his foul on Saša Kalajdžić. Following a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Onana admitted to letting the team down due to his mistakes. Journalist Guillem Balague described him as “not the perfect goalkeeper but good enough for Manchester United.” Ten Hag encouraged Onana to draw inspiration from United’s legendary goalkeepers Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea.
On October 24, 2023, Onana saved a penalty in the 97th minute, securing a 1-0 victory against Copenhagen and Manchester United’s first win in that season’s Champions League. However, a month later, he faced heavy criticism for his performance in a 3-3 draw against Galatasaray, being directly blamed for the first two goals. Despite the criticism, manager Erik ten Hag defended Onana, highlighting his strong stats.
At the end of his first season, Onana reflected that it had taken six months for him to “feel good.”
He was named in Cameroon’s squad for a friendly against France in May 2016 and debuted for the national team in a 2–1 friendly win over Gabon in September 2016. He participated in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, playing in the third-place game against Burkina Faso. On November 9, 2022, he was named in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. After playing the first match against Switzerland, he was dropped for the second match against Serbia and subsequently sent home on November 28 by manager Rigobert Song due to a disciplinary issue related to disagreements over coaching tactics. Onana announced his retirement from international football on December 23, 2022.
However, just over eight months later, on August 29, 2023, Onana was recalled to the Cameroon squad by Rigobert Song for an Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Burundi. Onana confirmed his return to international football on September 4 via a social media post, stating that despite “manipulation, lies, and abuse of power,” he chose to remain loyal to his principles and represent his country with pride. Former player Patrick Suffo commented that Onana’s return did not mean the national team was free from issues.
Personal life
Onana’s cousin, Fabrice Ondoa, is also a goalkeeper.
In May 2019, Onana addressed the challenges of being a black goalkeeper, stating that he had to work harder than his white counterparts due to prevailing misconceptions that black goalkeepers are more prone to making mistakes.
Net Worth
Undisclosed