Cameroon are just getting underway in a must win World Cup clash against Serbia, but they will have to do just that without their number one between the sticks as moments before kick-off, Andre Onana was axed from the squad.He has been replaced by Devis Epassy who plies his trade in the Saudi Arabian league and today is now making his World Cup debut, something he wasn’t expecting when the teams were announced.Inter Milan shot-stopper Onana was cut from the starting 11 after a disagreement with his manager Rigobert Song which seems to have escalated and become incredibly heated.
Andre Onana falls out with Rigobert Song
According to Fabrizio Romano, he’s actually been removed from the squad, whether that’s just for matchday two or the remainder of Cameroon’s World Cup campaign remains to be seen, I’d imagine that will become clearer in the post-match interviews.
The respected journalist claimed that the disagreement between gaffer and number one was because Song insisted on a different style of play, demanding a more traditional style of goalkeeping from Onana.
This all led to a ‘tense situation’ with the ‘keeper insisting he has no intentions to change his style and therefore was excluded, Song is certainly willing to die on his sword when it comes to his principles.
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View: Fabrizio Romano’s update on Andre Onana’s altercation with Rigobert Song
It certainly sounds like absolute chaos, for such an altercation over playing style to go off just before kick-off in a must win game is absolute madness, if this was such a big issue surely the confrontation over playing style should have happened between games?
If that was the case, not only would Epassy have been as well prepared as possible, but the organisation of the side from Song would not have appeared so all over the place. But, here we are, the World Cup keeps throwing up surprises, Epassy could play a blinder now!
Both Cameroon and Serbia could be knocked out of the competition this morning, so the importance of this game can’t be overstated with both Brazil and Switzerland already on three points themselves in Group G, with both Cameroon and Serbia winless heading into this fixture.
Should Cameroon lose this game, then questions will surely be asked about Song to leave such a major decision so late in the day of a make or break fixture for his side.
View: Fabrizio Romano provides update on Andre Onana
So it's now officially been confirmed that Onana will not be continuing at the World Cup, although with Cameroon 3-1 down to Serbia, it looks like a dead rubber clash with Brazil will be the last fixture for the African side at the 2022 World Cup.