Cameroon shot-stopper Andre Onana will play no further role at the World Cup after being kicked out of the squad before facing Serbia on Monday.
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The Inter Milan keeper started his nation’s first group game against Switzerland last week, where a solitary goal from Breel Embolo after half-time decided the contest.
He had been expected to retain his place in the team for the clash against Serbia but was a surprising omission not just from the starting lineup but from the squad when team news started to filter through.
According to The Athletic, Onana had a falling out with manager Rigobert Song over the weekend and it was decided that he should leave the World Cup campaign.
Things are believed to have got heated between the duo during training on Saturday when Song asked his goalkeeper to change his style of play.
Onana came through the academy at Barcelona and spent years playing in Ajax’s possession-focused team, with play building up from the back through the goalkeeper.
But Song felt that style did not suit Cameroon and asked Onana to play more direct and not take any risks near his own goal, he wanted to see more ‘traditional’ goalkeeping.
The Inter keeper appears not to have taken too kindly to what his manager wants, with some reports claiming the pair had a significant bust-up.
Either way, after the heated conversation Song decided that he would replace Onana in the starting lineup with backup keeper Devis Epassy, who only has five previous caps and plays for Saudi Arabian side Abha.
Song also felt it would not be beneficial to have Onana on the bench against Serbia or for the remainder of the tournament, with Cameroon facing Brazil in a few days’ time.
As such, Onana has left Cameroon’s camp and returned home from Qatar and will now link up with the Inter Milan, who are having a mini winter training camp with players who are not involved in the World Cup.
Onana, who has 35 caps for his nation, spent almost a year on the sidelines due to a drugs ban after testing positive for banned substance Furosemide, which he said was a result of taking his wife’s medicine by mistake.
