Cameroon Names 2025 AFCON Squad, Drops Onana and Aboubakar

Cameroon's football federation announced its squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, excluding prominent goalkeeper André Onana and longtime captain Vincent Aboubakar in a move that has stirred discussion ahead of the tournament's start in Morocco on December 21.

The decisions came amid a turbulent period for the Indomitable Lions, who parted ways with Belgian head coach Marc Brys earlier that day. Brys, appointed in April 2024, oversaw Cameroon's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Federation president Samuel Eto'o, recently reelected, replaced him with 56-year-old David Pagou, a veteran of Cameroon's domestic leagues, assisted by Alexandre Belinga and Martin Ntoungou Mpile. Officials described the coaching shift as an effort to reorganize the team internally.

Pagou, making his mark immediately, finalized a 26-player roster emphasizing younger talent and fresh options. Onana, currently on loan at Trabzonspor from Manchester United and capped 53 times for Cameroon, was omitted despite starting in the team's 1-0 World Cup qualifying loss to DR Congo on November 13. Aboubakar, a striker for Neftçi PFK and a fixture for over 15 years, was also left out....