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Former Tottenham and Cameroon defender Sebastien Bassong has been unimpressed with either Manchester United or André Onana over the handling of his delayed African Cup of Nations (AFCON) call-up.
Speaking to the BBC, he claimed that the goalkeeper and United had disrespected the African team.
The defender, who represented the Indomitable Lions on 15 occasions, did not mince words about this.
“It is out of character on both sides. “It is disrespectful of Manchester United to ask Onana to do such a thing and it is very low of Onana to even consider it.”
The former defender is of course referring to the current drama surrounding Onana and his decision to play in the AFCON.
The United goalkeeper retired from international football due to a disagreement with the coach during the 2022 World Cup.
However, he was called up to the national team shortly after his move to United and was eventually called up to defend his country’s colors in this month’s tournament.
His coach, Erik ten Hag, seems reluctant to part with the goalkeeper, having kept him in goal for the FA Cup match against third division side Wigan and also successfully delayed the goalkeeper’s participation in the tournament, so that can play against Tottenham. in a crucial top-four tie on Sunday.
Bassong was particularly unhappy with Onana and the image he conveys of African football.
“It sends such a bad message not only to Cameroon but also to the respect people will have for Afcon and the way they should treat us. If we can’t even respect ourselves, how can we expect other people to treat us differently? For me, André Onana is shooting us and himself in the foot.”
The 37-year-old said he was very “disappointed” with Onana and believes that you can’t just play one match and then fly to the mainland, ready to play the next day.
Furthermore, Bassong stated that he personally likes the United goalkeeper, but his actions cannot be tolerated.
“For me, you have to teach him a lesson. I like Andre, I always support him, but when things like this happen, the pride of the country and the continent comes way above an individual person. For me he should stay home and be punished for that.”
It will be interesting to see how other Cameroonian fans react to Onana’s decision, especially if he takes his erratic club form to the international stage.
