André Onana replies to Cameroon critics: Country comes first

Goalkeeper Andre Onana is expected to be included in Cameroon's lineup for Friday's Africa Cup of Nations group match against holders Senegal after returning to training with the team on Wednesday.

Onana missed Cameroon's tournament opener in Ivory Coast on Monday after being allowed to remain at Manchester United and play in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

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He took a charter plane overnight to Ivory Coast after the clash at Old Trafford, but only arrived hours before kick-off of the Group C clash against Guinea, in which Cameroon came back to force a 1-1 draw.

The decision to allow the 27-year-old to withdraw from the opening match of the tournament sparked controversy among Cameroonian fans.

In an interview after arriving in Ivory Coast, Onana explained to journalists the difficult conflict of loyalties between club and country, particularly for African internationals forced to leave their European clubs mid-season to take part in the Nations Cup.

“It’s like choosing between my father and my mother, but my country comes first, that’s why I’m here,” he said.

“Let people continue to criticize me. I am used to it. I do what is good for my country,” Onana added.

Onana has a checkered history with Cameroon having broken into the team while still a teenager at Ajax Amsterdam.

He refused a call-up for the 2017 Nations Cup, which Cameroon won, and at the last World Cup in Qatar he was sent home after one match following an argument with coach Rigobert Song , which has since been patched up.

But he competed in the last edition of the Nations Cup two years ago, just months after returning from a lengthy ban for doping.