Erik ten Hag confirmed in Friday’s press conference that Manchester United are in talks with two federations to delay the trips of Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat. The duo are due to join their national sides ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but United hope to have them available for an FA Cup Tie against Wigan Athletic early next month.
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Erik ten Hag ‘We Are Talking & Have Good Relationships With the Federations’
Manchester United Duo Could Be Unavailable Until Mid-February
Speaking to the media ahead of their Premier League tie against Nottingham Forest, Erik ten Hag revealed that his club were in conversations to delay the departure of their key players ahead of AFCON: “The situation is that we’re talking, we have good relationships with all the federations. It’s about Sofyan, it’s about Andre, so we’re talking with them”.
If the Moroccan and Cameroonian federations refuse to grant a delay to the players, they will be unavailable for United after Saturday’s visit to the City Ground. If their national sides reach the final of the tournament, they will not return until after the final on the 11th of February 2024.
The Red Devils start their FA Cup campaign on the 8th of January with a third-round away match against Wigan Athletic, who currently sit in 19th place in League One. While the AFCON group stages matches do not start until the following week, many sides, such as Cameroon, are due to hold a training camp in the New Year.
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Andre Onana Personally Pushing to Delay AFCON Trip
According to a report from Metro, Onana is personally pushing to delay his trip to join the training camp in Saudi Arabia so that he can face Wigan Athletic for Manchester United. While it is not unusual for sides to attempt to minimise the loss of vital players, it is surprising how openly United are pushing to delay, given that they will be heavy favourites against The Latics in their cup tie.
The 27-year-old’s story in particular is unique, given his complicated history with the national squad. In World Cup 2024, Onana was the starting keeper in their opening 1-0 loss to Switzerland but was then dropped following a dispute with manager Rigobert Song, who felt he should take less risks with the ball. Following the game, the head coach suggested his players needed to remember “discipline and respect”.
The Cameroon international was benched ahead of their next game against Serbia and subsequently asked to be dropped from the matchday squad entirely. In retaliation, he was sent home from Qatar.
Onana later retired from international football, which The Athletic has reported was a result of a dispute between the keeper and the President of the Cameroon Football Federation, Samuel Eto. Since then, he has returned to international duty and made his return in a World Cup 2026 Qualifier against Mauritius.
In his absence, summer signing Altay Bayindir is expected to start for Ten Hag’s side. The Turkish shot-stopper has yet to make an appearance for United since his £4.3 million move in the summer. Onana’s difficult start to life since joining from Inter Milan in the summer could allow Bayindir to fight for the number one spot if the former Fenerbahce keeper can string together a run of impressive performances.
