Fabrice Ondoa is only 28 years old, but the Cameroonian goalkeeper has had a most curious career. But each time the Indomitable Lions have called on him, he has excelled himself. The goalkeeper looks back on his career, the AFCON 2023 and the André Onana episode.
Trained at FC Barcelona, Fabrice Ondoa was seen at the start of his career as a worthy successor to Cameroon's line of great goalkeepers, including Joseph-Antoine Bell and Carlos Kameni.Indeed, the keeper lived up to all expectations at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, with an XXL tournament that saw the Indomitable Lions claim the trophy, and Ondoa (49 caps) was named the tournament's best keeper.However, what followed did not go according to plan for the former La Masia resident. A spell with Seville B, Ostend, Alaves, Istra, Auda, Nîmes, and even a season without a club in 2022-2023. A career that the 28-year-old goalkeeper fully embraces.
"I've gained a lot of experience. I'd say it's a bit tumultuous.Maybe it wasn't what I would have chosen, but I wanted it. I take responsibility for my choices. I've always made my choices in relation to Cameroon. When I chose a club, I wanted to know their position on the Indomitable Lions. I had the opportunity to talk to several good clubs, but knowing that their first-choice goalkeeper could be away for several months for the African Cup of Nations scared them off. It was inconceivable for me not to be able to go. That's why I chose my clubs," says Fabrice Ondoa in an interview with Foot Mercato.
2017, the best memory
Despite his struggles at club level, Fabrice Ondoa's finest moment came with the Indomitable Lions: victory at the 2017 African Cup of Nations.A competition that holds a special place in his memory."It's the best moment of my career because I put everything into this competition. There was a real sacrifice behind this tournament. I'd just signed for Sevilla and the directors put me in the B team because they knew that the AFCON was coming up and that I couldn't be a starter. I understood that if I started, I wouldn't be going to the AFCON, so I preferred to sit on the bench. When I arrived at the tournament, I told myself that I'd sacrificed my season for the AFCON. On top of that, I'd just lost the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, where Cameroon were favourites. We had a top team but we missed out despite qualifying well. That served us well for 2017 and it was a double challenge for me. Collective and personal."
"Despite the elimination, the group has created a state of mind".
From then on, however, things took a turn for the worse.From the 2020-2021 season onwards, Fabrice Ondoa spent months without a club. A situation that undermined his status with the national team. Meanwhile, his cousin André Onana was gaining ground and becoming number 1. However, Ondoa was called up for the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, but he insists that it was he himself who declined the invitation. He felt that a player without a club could not add any value to the team. Back for the AFCON 2023, the goalkeeper beat Onana on the final day of the group phase and in the round of 16. Despite the early elimination against Nigeria, the former Barcelona man believes the group has grown."I think Cameroon has gained something. Despite the elimination, the group has created a state of mind and real team cohesion.It's a young group and many of them took part in their first AFCON. There have been quite a few extra-sportive issues that have marred the cohesion. We, the leaders, will have time to discuss this internally. There's been far too much extra-sporting."
His relationship with Onana
Naturally, Fabrice Ondoa didn't escape questions about André Onana, who arrived on the day Cameroon kicked off their AFCON campaign against Guinea.We have to ask ourselves the right questions. Who gave him permission?Who allowed a player to arrive in the early hours of the morning before a competition to play? In hindsight, I wonder but during the competition, we had to concentrate on our tournament but now, we haven't yet had the time to work out these kinds of issues. The group really needs to know what happened with André Onana. A player doesn't arrive at this point if he hasn't had permission from so-and-so."
Fabrice Ondoa continues."These are things to be eradicated afterwards because it's totally unthinkable and these are things to be resolved over the long term.We're going to discuss it.We'll have to dig out the abscess, because like you, we still don't know the ins and outs of this story".Nonetheless, Ondoa sets the record straight on his relationship with Onana, his cousin, which he says is as good as new. "Nothing has changed with André. Our relationship is as good as ever. As we say, 27 players come to the AFCON and they all have to be ready to play if need be. From the youngest, Nathan Douala, to Aboubakar Vincent."
