Andre Onana dropped for his cousin by Cameroon ahead of crucial AFCON clash

Cameroon have dropped Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) clash with Gambia.

Cameroon manager Rigobert Song has opted to bench Onana for their must-win match on Tuesday night.

They are currently third in Group C and must beat Gambia to have a chance of making it through the next round of the competition.

United goalkeeper Onana missed Cameroon's opening match of the tournament, a 1-1 draw with Guinea, in order to remain in England for the 2-2 draw with Tottenham in the Premier League.

United reached an agreement with the Cameroon FA for Onana to miss the start of the tournament, paying £79,000 to fly him via private jet to the competition.

Onana came into the Cameroon side for their second match against Senegal but was unable to prevent them from losing 3-1, leaving them facing an early exit.

He has now been dropped to the bench, with his cousin - Nimes goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa - starting in his place against Gambia.

Onana has the worst save success rate (0 per cent) of all goalkeepers in the tournament, albeit having played just one match.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's match, former Liverpool and West Ham defender Song said he trusted his players to find the win they need.

"I've experienced pressure since I was very young, I've known it, pressure, as a player," said Song.

"It's part of the game; you win, you're strong but you lose, you're bad. I'm not getting into this game.

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"I don't panic, I don't stress. I listen, I understand the criticism, I know what I have to do, I stay calm. My players know me, I simply tell them: 'Do your job.' I trust my players, we'll get there."

Song's decision to drop Onana will come as a major blow to both the goalkeeper and United, who will be keen for him to have a strong tournament after a shaky start to life at Old Trafford.

He now faces the possibility of returning to England earlier than expected, although back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir is still set to start for United against Newport County in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday - even if Onana and Cameroon have been eliminated.

Topics: Manchester United, Football, Cameroon, Andre Onana

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan