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Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was in action for Cameroon on Monday as they beat Kenya 1-0 to guarantee themselves a place in the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Indomitable Lions are top of Group J with 10 points from four games and have conceded just one goal with Onana continuing his impressive Premier League form on the international stage.
The game was a home fixture for Kenya, but with no CAF and FIFA approved stadium for major matches, they were forced to host it at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.
Despite not having Uganda in their group, this is the second time Cameroon have travelled to Kampala during AFCON qualification, as their away tie with Zimbabwe took place there for the same reasons.
But the five-time AFCON winners faced Kenya behind closed doors as officials sought to avoid a repeat of the security risks which, as per The Daily Mail, saw Onana mobbed by fans and whisked away last month.
The United shot-stopper was unruffled by previous experiences at the ground, dealing neatly with a speculative effort from range and an unthreatening header before half-time. As per sofascore, these were the only two saves he would make all game.
Kenya upped the ante after the restart, and Onana was lucky to leave with a clean sheet after a powerful effort from Alphonce Otieno Omija blasted past him and hit the post.
The ever-composed Cameroonian responded several minutes later with some fancy footwork, juggling the ball in his own area and lobbing it over an oncoming attacker.
Just as he is for United, Onana was very involved in his team’s buildup play, touching the ball 46 times and attempting 39 passes – with only 77% finding their intended target.
A long-range free-kick from Boris Enow proved the difference between the sides, securing the points and guaranteeing Cameroon at least a top-two finish. They will duke it out with Zimbabwe for first place.
Onana lined up alongside Bryan Mbeumo, whose Brentford side travel to Old Trafford on Saturday.
Mbeumo’s red-hot form has seen him net six Premier League goals already this season – one more than United’s entire squad combined.
All stats courtesy of sofascore.
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2024-10-15 13:00:10
