In the final playoff game of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) Ivory Coast 2023, Rigobert Song Bahanag summoned André Onana. Questioned on the subject of this player absent from the group for almost a year, the manager-selector indicated that: there was never a problem André Onana “. Adding that ” the last time I said that everything depended on him; he knew what he had to do. And I think he’s on the list today because he did the right thing.“. Before embarking on a painting of the qualities of his foal: “on is satisfied that he finds the group and really; we count on everyone. Today, I think he is among the best, he is congratulated by all ».
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Thus, at the same time as he denies the existence of an André Onana problem, Rigobert Song admits that the player had to “ do the right thing“. Implicitly admitting a condition to which the ex-banished would have sacrificed. Anyway, in November 2022, the federation announced the player’s suspension: ” The Cameroonian Football Federation informs the public that, on the decision of Mr. Rigobert Song Bahanag, manager and coach of the Indomitable Lions, the player André Onana is temporarily suspended from the group for disciplinary reasons. “, had indicated the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot) in a press release made public on November 28, 2022, in the midst of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The titular goalkeeper of the selection had just been ousted from the den of the Indomitable Lions, in a context of vagueness where the reason for this exclusion was not clearly given. Between the injury mentioned by captain Vincent Aboubakar and the “discipline” put forward in turn by the manager and coach, informal sources had suggested that the goalkeeper did not agree with the coach on the tactical choices, in particular the game towards the goal. ‘front so prized by the last Cameroonian rampart, and which would not agree with the style Nicolas Nkoulou, rather static. Opinion was confused. But in its press release, the Fécafoot had leaned towards the boss of the technical supervision: “ The Cameroon Football Federation renews its unwavering support for the manager-coach and all his coaching staff in the implementation of its policy aimed at preserving discipline, solidarity, complementarity and cohesion within the national team. “, she had written in her press release signed by Blaise Djounangthe Secretary General.
Form parallelism
Fans of the administrative rules are attached to the principle of parallelism of form, namely that Fécafoot should have announced in a press release the end of the player’s suspension, before he was summoned back to the national team. But nothing like that happened. During the June 2023 regrouping, as part of the friendly match against Mexico, Fécafoot through the voice of Samuel Eto’o its president, had declared that the decision was up to the technical staff who are “free” in their choices. And the boss of the technical support of the Indomitable Lions had obviously planned to recall his foal, but the programming of the Uefa Champion’s league does not change everything. André Onana, then a member of Inter Milan, had the final of this tournament to play the day before the friendly match in question. His name, which appeared in administrative documents leaked on social networks, had disappeared from the final list. Still, the information was now public. And sources close to FECAFOOT assured that the new member of Manchester United will be on the list for the Cameroon-Burundi match scheduled for September 12, 2023 in Garoua. They were right.
However, the man who, after the Fécafoot press release of November 28 had announced his international retirement and therefore a cessation of his participation in the activities of the Cameroon national team, did not also comment on the subject of his withdrawal. A lack of parallelism of form also at its level. On his Instagram account, André Onana left an enigmatic message: “ the lie gives flowers, but does not give fruits“. Only the future will make it possible to better understand this African proverb taken up by the player. Does he denounce the output of the coach about him? We will have to wait for the regrouping to know the rest of the soap opera.
