André Onana
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

André Onana Onana (; born 2 April 1996) is a Cameroonian professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
for
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
and the Cameroon national team. Onana joined
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
's youth system in 2010. He signed for
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
in 2015, where he made 214 appearances and won three
Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
titles. Onana joined
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
on a free transfer in July 2022, winning a
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
and
Supercoppa Italiana The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
title in his sole season at the club, also reaching the Champions League final. Manchester United then signed Onana for an initial £43.8 million in 2023. At international level, Onana has made more than 40 appearances for the Cameroon national team since making his debut in September 2016.


Club career


Youth career

Born in Nkol Ngok, Onana joined
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
from the
Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils (; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian Association football, football administrator and former Football player, player who is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. He is often regarded as one of the ...
Academy at the age of 14 in 2010. Because he was under 18 and a non-EU citizen, Onana had to go on loan in the 2012–13 season to the youth team of Cornellà, before being loaned again the next season to the first-team of Vista Alegre.


Ajax

In early January 2015, it was announced that he would join Dutch club
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
in July 2015. The transfer was brought forward later that month. He made his debut for
Jong Ajax Jong Ajax (; ), also referred to as Ajax II or Ajax 2, is a Dutch association football team. It is based in Amsterdam and competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. Jong Ajax is the only reserve team to have won a title in Dutch professional foot ...
in the
Eerste Divisie The Eerste Divisie (; ) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the Keuken Kampioen Divisie due to sponsorship reasons, while ...
in February 2015. He signed a new contract with Ajax in May 2017, running until 2021. In March 2019 he signed a further new contract, until June 2022. In November 2019, he said he was interested in playing in the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
in England. In February 2021, Onana was banned from playing for 12 months by
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
after testing positive for
Furosemide Furosemide, sold under the brand name Lasix among others, is a loop diuretic medication used to treat edema due to heart failure, liver scarring, or kidney disease. Furosemide may also be used for the treatment of high blood pressure. It can ...
, a banned substance. Onana said he took his wife's medicine by mistake and Ajax joined him in appealing against the decision. The ban was reduced to nine months by the
Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; , TAS) is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, and its courts are located in New York City, Sy ...
in June. In January 2022, he was linked with a transfer to Italian club
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
. In May 2022, he announced that he was leaving Ajax. Onana spent seven and a half years with Ajax, making 214 appearances in all competitions during his stint.


Inter Milan

On 1 July 2022,
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
officially confirmed Onana's signing on a free transfer on a five-year contract. In January 2023, he won the
Supercoppa Italiana The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
against rivals
AC Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
, and also went on to win the
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
, defeating
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
in May 2023. He played an integral role in helping guide Inter to the 2023 Champions League Final.


Manchester United

After discussions with the club through the month, on 16 July 2023 it was reported that Onana had agreed personal terms with Premier League club
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
for a five-year contract. Manchester United confirmed the transfer on 20 July, for an initial £43.8 million fee with Inter for the transfer of Onana, with a potential £3.4 million in add-ons, which saw Onana rejoin his former Ajax coach,
Erik ten Hag Erik ten Hag ( ; born 2 February 1970) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. He will become the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen on 1 July 2025. Ten Hag played as a centre-back and began his career with Ere ...
. Onana made his competitive debut for the club in the Premier League opener against
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
on 14 August. He kept a clean sheet as United won the game 1–0, but was at the centre of controversy after referee Simon Hooper and VAR
Michael Salisbury Michael Salisbury (born 1985) is an English professional football referee and former teacher who belongs to the Select Group of Referees in England and officiates in the Premier League. Early and personal life Salisbury was born in Penwort ...
opted not to award a late penalty for a foul by Onana on
Saša Kalajdžić Saša Kalajdžić ( sr-cyrl, Саша Калајџић; born 7 July 1997) is an Austrian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., Wolverhampton ...
. On 20 September, following a 4–3 defeat against
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
in the Champions League opening fixture, Onana said he had "let the team down" following mistakes during the match. He was then described by journalist Guillem Balague as "not the perfect goalkeeper but good enough for Manchester United". Ten Hag later said that Onana should be inspired by Manchester United's legendary goalkeepers
Peter Schmeichel Peter Bolesław Schmeichel (born 18 November 1963) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During eight seasons at English club Manchester United, he won 15 trophies including five Premier League titles, three FA C ...
and
David de Gea David de Gea Quintana (; born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Fiorentina. Considered one of the best keepers of his generation, he is known for his reflexes and shot-stopping capabilitie ...
. On 24 October 2023, he saved a penalty in the 97th minute in a Champions League match which ended in a 1–0 victory against
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, leading to his club's first win in the competition that season. A month later, Onana was heavily criticised for his performance in a 3–3 Champions League draw against
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
; he was directly blamed for Galatasaray's first two goals, which came from former Ajax teammate
Hakim Ziyech Hakim Ziyech (; ; ; born 19 March 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a Winger (association football), right winger or an attacking midfielder. He most recently played for Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail SC, Al-Duhail, before leavin ...
free kicks. The
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
called it "a night of suffering for Onana", who "produced a horror show to undermine much of United's good work", while the ''Manchester Evening News'' declared he "carelessly conceded" the first Galatasaray goal, "catastrophically fumbled" the second and "too easily beaten" for the third. He was defended by manager Erik ten Hag, who opined that Onana's stats showed him to be the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League. At the end of his first season, he said it had taken six months for him to "feel good". The season finished with Onana winning his first trophy with United, the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, beating
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
in the final. During his second season, by December 2024 Onana had kept more clean sheets than any other Premier League goalkeeper, but was criticised for making some mistakes against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Founde ...
and
Viktoria Plzeň Viktoria usually refers to Viktoria, a name which is the same as Victoria (name), but may also refer to: Places * FK Viktoria Stadion, stadium of Viktoria Žižkov * Viktoria-Luise-Platz, building in Berlin * Viktoriastadt, now known as Victor ...
. In April 2025, ahead of a game between Lyon and Manchester United, former Manchester United and current Lyon player Nemanja Matic described Onana as "one of the worst goalkeepers in the club's history". Onana was at fault for both of Lyon's goals in a 2–2 draw, but was defended by manager
Ruben Amorim Ruben Filipe Marques Amorim (; born 27 January 1985) is a Portuguese Professional association football, professional football Manager (association football), manager, a former player and the current manager of Premier League club Manchester Unit ...
. However, Amorim then dropped Onana for the club's next match.


International career

Onana is a former Cameroon youth international. He was named in Cameroon's squad for a friendly against
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in May 2016. Onana debuted for Cameroon in a 2–1 friendly win over
Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
in September 2016. He featured in the
2021 Africa Cup of Nations The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (also referred to as AFCON 2021 or CAN 2021), known as the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's ass ...
third-place game against
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...
. On 9 November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
in Qatar. He played the first match against
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, before being dropped in the second against
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, then he was eventually sent home from the tournament on 28 November by manager
Rigobert Song Rigobert Song Bahanag (born 1 July 1976) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who is the manager of the Central African Republic national team. Known for his defensive skills, Song usually played as a centre-back, but could also oper ...
due to a disciplinary issue related to arguments about the latter's coaching tactics. Onana announced his retirement from international football on 23 December 2022. Just over eight months later, on 29 August 2023, Onana was recalled into the Cameroon squad by Rigobert Song for an
Africa Cup of Nations qualification Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
match against
Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
. The goalkeeper formally confirmed his return to international football several days later, on 4 September, via a message posted on social media, stating that, "in the face of manipulation, lies and abuse of power", he had chosen to "stay loyal to my principle, representing with pride a country that deserves our sincere commitment." Former player
Patrick Suffo Patrick Hervé Suffo Kengné (born 17 January 1978) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Suffo was born in Ebolowa, Cameroon. He played in France, England, Spain and the United Arab Emirates bef ...
said that Onana's return did not mean there were still not problems at the national team.


Style of play

Onana is a
sweeper-keeper The goalkeeper (sometimes written as goal-keeper, abbreviated as GK, keeper, keeps, or goalie) is a position in association football. It is the most specialised position in the sport. The goalkeeper's main role is to stop the opposing team from ...
who has strong distribution skills. He regularly comes out of his box to help build-up play and is known for his confidence on the ball and range of passing. In Cameroon's opening 2022 World Cup game against Switzerland, Onana had more touches of the ball outside of the box (26) than any goalkeeper in a World Cup match since records began in 1966. He was described as resembling a "
holding midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
at times" in UEFA's Technical Observers' report on the 2022–23 Champions League. In July 2023, he was described as "a modern keeper... with the technique of an outfield player". In April 2025,
Nemanja Matić Nemanja Matić ( sr-Cyrl, Немања Матић, ; born 1 August 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon. Matić began his senior career at ...
described Onana as "one of the worst goalkeepers in anchester Unitedhistory".


Personal life

Onana's cousin, Fabrice Ondoa, also plays as a
goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
. In May 2019, Onana spoke out about being a black goalkeeper, saying he had to work harder than his white counterparts due to misconceptions about black goalkeepers being more prone to making mistakes. Onana is married to Melanie Kamayou and they have a son together.


Career statistics


Club


International


Honours

Ajax *
Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
: 2018–19,
2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
, 2021–22 *
KNVB Cup The KNVB Beker (; ), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organised by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside the N ...
: 2018–19,
2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
*
Johan Cruyff Shield The Johan Cruyff Shield (, ) is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national footbal ...
:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
runner-up: 2016–17 Inter Milan *
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
:
2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
*
Supercoppa Italiana The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
:
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
*
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
runner-up:
2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
Manchester United *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2023–24 *
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
runner-up: 2024–25 Cameroon *
Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
third place:
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
Individual *Indomitable Lion of the Year (Cameroonian footballer of the year): 2018 *Best African Goalkeeper: 2018 *Eredivisie Team of the Year: 2018–19 * CAF Team of the Year: 2019, 2023, 2024 *IFFHS CAF Men Team of The Year: 2020 *
Premier League Save of the Month The Premier League Save of the Month is an association football award that recognises the goalkeeper deemed to have made the best Premier League save in each month of the season from August to April. For sponsorship purposes, it was called the C ...
: April 2024, September 2024, November 2024


References


External links


Profile
at the Manchester United F.C. website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Onana, Andre 1996 births Living people Sportspeople from Centre Region (Cameroon) Cameroonian men's footballers 21st-century Cameroonian sportsmen Men's association football goalkeepers FC Barcelona players UD Vista Alegre players AFC Ajax players Jong Ajax players Inter Milan players Manchester United F.C. players Eredivisie players Eerste Divisie players Serie A players Premier League players Cameroon men's youth international footballers Cameroon men's international footballers 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2019 Africa Cup of Nations players 2021 Africa Cup of Nations players 2022 FIFA World Cup players 2023 Africa Cup of Nations players Cameroonian expatriate men's footballers Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Cameroonian expatriate sportspeople in England Expatriate men's footballers in England Doping cases in association football