After World Cup Dispute, Onana Ends Career with Cameroon

Cameroon's goalkeeper André Onana takes part in a training session at the Al Sailiya SC Training Site in Doha on November 27, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football match between Cameroon and Serbia. (AFP)
Cameroon's goalkeeper André Onana takes part in a training session at the Al Sailiya SC Training Site in Doha on November 27, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football match between Cameroon and Serbia. (AFP)
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After World Cup Dispute, Onana Ends Career with Cameroon

Cameroon's goalkeeper André Onana takes part in a training session at the Al Sailiya SC Training Site in Doha on November 27, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football match between Cameroon and Serbia. (AFP)
Cameroon's goalkeeper André Onana takes part in a training session at the Al Sailiya SC Training Site in Doha on November 27, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football match between Cameroon and Serbia. (AFP)

Cameroon goalkeeper André Onana ended his career with the national team on Friday, one month after the 26-year-old player was sent home from the World Cup in a dispute with coach Rigobert Song.

The Inter Milan player posted a statement on his Twitter account saying “my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end.”

“Players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player,” Onana wrote, without citing reasons for his decision. “Cameroon remains eternal and so does my love for the national team.”

The last of Onana’s 34 international games was the 1-0 loss to Switzerland on Nov. 24 at the World Cup in Qatar.

Onana later released a statement referring to his disagreement with Song over team tactics that led to him being dropped for the next game, a 3-3 draw with Serbia.

“I have put all my efforts and energy into finding solutions to a situation that a footballer often experiences, but there has been no will on the other side,” Onana said then. “Some moments are difficult to assimilate.”

Song later said he needed all his players to “show discipline and respect.”

Cameroon went on to beat Brazil 1-0 in its final Group G game but did not advance to the round of 16.



N. Korea Players Celebrate U-20 World Cup Victory in Pyongyang

Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)
Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)
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N. Korea Players Celebrate U-20 World Cup Victory in Pyongyang

Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)
Members of North Korea's U-20 women's football team, wave at people from a vehicle upon their arrival in Pyongyang on September 28, 2024, after their victory against Japan at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup final football match, which took place at the Nemesio Camacho “El Campin” stadium in Colombia's capital Bogota. (AFP)

North Korea's young women's football team received a thunderous homecoming after their title win at the 2024 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, AFP footage showed on Sunday.

The country's U-20 women squad returned home on Saturday after their 1-0 victory over Japan to claim the title in Bogota, their third such victory after tournament wins in 2006 and 2016.

The achievement has placed the isolated country on equal footing with powerhouses Germany and the United States.

The players were greeted by their families at the airport in Pyongyang, many overcome with joy, some in tears.

"I am really happy that we demonstrated to the full the honor of the country. We will continue to demonstrate the dignity of the country," said a visibly emotional Chae Un Yong, captain of the national team.

The players were then escorted onto an open truck decorated with flowers and painted with the North Korean flag, driving through the city as they waved to people on the streets.

"They extended thanks to the cheering citizens, reminding themselves of the time when they played games with the warm encouragement sent by all the people across the country," the official news agency KCNA reported.

AFP footage showed a large crowd of people gathering by the truck to shake the players' hands and wave national flags.

The U-20 Women's World Cup win followed years of the country's withdrawal from international sporting competitions due to the Covid pandemic.

North Korea's women's football team holds a strong foothold on the global stage, ranked ninth, in stark contrast to their male counterparts, who are ranked 111th.