• World Cup 2022

Andre Onana retires from Cameroon national team aged 26

Andre Onana
Getty Images
Advertisement

The Inter Milan star has called time on his international career after his suspension from the Cameroonian national team.

Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has retired from international football at 26.

Onana broke the news on Friday by sharing a post on social media, one month after Cameroon manager Rigobert Song suspended him from the World Cup squad for undisclosed disciplinary reasons.

In his statement, Onana made no reference to his World Cup exclusion or Song. He instead remarked on the ‘endless hours of training, and endless trips’ to fulfill his ‘great dream’ of representing Cameroon.

“But every story, however beautiful it may be, has its end,” the Inter Milan keeper wrote. “And my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end.

“Players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player. Cameroon remains eternal, and so does my love for the national team and for our people who have always supported us no matter how difficult the moment was.”

“My feeling will never change,” Onana added. “My Cameroonian heart will continue to beat, and wherever I go, I will always fight to lift the flag of Cameroon as high as possible. I will continue to support as a fan, just as the more than 27 million Cameroonians do at every match.

“I can only thank all those who trusted me and believed that I could add and contribute to this team.”

Onana earned 34 caps with Cameroon, keeping 14 clean sheets and conceding 29 goals. The Nkol Ngok-native made his international debut in a 2-1 friendly win over Gabon in June 2016. He also represented the national team in the 2019 and 2022 AFCON tournaments.

Cameroon suffered a group-stage exit in the 2022 World Cup, finishing behind Group G winners Brazil and Switzerland in third.

x