In his first appearance at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), Andre Onana, the number one for both Cameroon and English Premier League side Manchester United, endured a shaky start that sent shockwaves through the stadium.
Onana’s debut took an unexpected turn as he fumbled an aerial ball, gifting Senegal an early advantage within the first 16 minutes. This left Onana planted to his spot as Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr capitalized on the mistake with a clinical finish.
The blunder set the tone for what would be a nerve wreaking performance, for the shot-stopper.
The goalkeeper’s struggles continued, misplacing a simple pass and unleashing an errant kick that resulted in a heated exchange with a defender.
Cameroon found themselves trailing by a goal, and Onana’s less-than-ideal start became emblematic of the mounting pressure on the talented goalkeeper.
The Teranga controlled the second half as they ended the first half and they managed to double their lead.
Cameroon’s Jean Charles Castelleto slashed Senegal’s lead into two after rising highest to head home a cross from Oliver Ntcham on the 83rd minute to bring the game to 2-1.
Senegal, quick to exploit Onana’s vulnerability, relentlessly bombarded the penalty area with aerial crosses.
The six-yard box resembled a battleground, and Onana’s discomfort on set-pieces mirrored concerns familiar to Manchester United supporters.
Despite some improvement in his command of the box, evidenced by successful punches to clear subsequent crosses, a lingering doubt persisted in Onana’s performance.
With just 2 minutes to end the game, Sadio Mane got his first goal of the tournament and Senegal’s third of the night.
In the high-stakes environment of AFCON, costly errors from Onana could prove detrimental to Cameroon’s campaign, especially considering the intense scrutiny already surrounding him.
As the saying goes, “begin as you mean to go on,” but Onana faces an uphill battle to dispel the shadows of his challenging AFCON initiation. The goalkeeper and his team can only hope that this rocky start won’t define their journey in the tournament.
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