Andre Onana endured yet another night to forget as Cameroon slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat against Cape Verde on Tuesday. The 29-year-old, already edging towards an exit from Manchester United, did little to help his cause after being accused of 'losing the plot' during the international break.
The two sides met in a top-of-the-table qualifier, but Onana - who is set to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan in the coming days - was at fault for the decisive goal and saw his evening further soured by an altercation with a supporter at the National Stadium.
It was the latest setback in what has been a rocky spell since his arrival in England in 2023. No Premier League player has made more errors leading directly to goals than Onana in that time, with his nine mistakes including everything from conceding Olimpico goals straight from corners to letting tame efforts slip through his gloves. This latest blunder felt like the perfect summary of his turbulent run.
Onana's Disastrous Performance in Cape Verde 1-0 Cameroon
Onana's costly mistake came in the 53rd minute after Cape Verde striker Rocha Livramento won back possession on the halfway line, shrugging off a Cameroon midfielder before driving straight through the heart of the defence. Left one-on-one with the forward, Onana chose to stay rooted to his line, only to compound the initial error by diving the wrong way as Livramento's shot nestled into the back of the net. Watch the incident below:
The blunder handed Cape Verde - a tiny nation of just 525,000 people - a crucial advantage, extending their lead in the qualifying group to four points with only two games remaining. They are now on the brink of making history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time ever.
For Onana, his night went from bad to worse. After the final whistle, as the Red Devils' outcast was leaving the pitch, he appeared to shove a pitch invader in a moment of frustration before having a bottle thrown at him, overshadowing the celebrations around him. Watch the incident below:
Man United will not receive a loan fee, nor do Trabzonspor have an obligation to sign Onana permanently when his deal expires, according to the Mirror. This means he will return to Old Trafford at the end of the loan, at which point a decision will have to be made about his future. He is set to travel straight to Turkey after the international break to finalise the loan move.
Onana previously impressed at Ajax and Inter Milan, regularly appearing on lists of the world's best goalkeepers. However, he has struggled significantly in the Premier League. Following United's signing of Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens, the Cameroonian is expected to drop down the pecking order this season - a demotion many argue should have come sooner.