Andre Onana, the goalkeeper for Inter Milan, maintains that Manchester City is under the most pressure ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final in Istanbul.
The 27-year-old Cameroonian has received a lot of attention over a summer transfer to the Premier League, with Chelsea reportedly leading the pack.
In 12 games in Europe, Onana has preserved eight clean sheets. He feels the pressure is mounting on City, who is vying for the Treble.
“We stand to gain nothing. They are under more stress than we are, he said.
We play against a really tough opponent, so we need to prepare carefully, don’t stress, and take it easy.
The team that placed third in Serie A this season faces a challenging job, but Inter already holds the Coppa Italia after defeating Fiorentina 2-1 in Rome.
Onana did not record a clean sheet on that particular day, but he did manage to keep the opposition scoreless in two European matches, including both legs of their Champions League semifinal against AC Milan, their local rivals.
Onana had a difficult World Cup the previous year and was expelled from Qatar before announcing his retirement from international football.
The goalkeeper, who only recently transferred from Ajax to Inter, though, said: “I’m feeling quite well. I feel so at ease and joyful.
‘Africa is proud of him’
In addition to Pierre Wome, Daniel Boumsong, and the illustrious Samuel Eto’o, Onana is the fourth Cameroonian to play for the Nerazzurri.
With 113 international appearances, Geremi, another former Indomitable Lions legend, is supporting his fellow countryman to win the championship, much like the 44-year-old defender did for Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002.
He assured BBC Sport Africa that he will be supporting Inter Milan.
“One of our younger brothers and a fellow countryman are playing.
“I know him well, and I believe that he is an inspiration to all of Africa. Since this is a significant accomplishment for Cameroon, I wish him luck as he competes for that unique trophy.
The Champions League final is the most prestigious competition in Europe.
I’ve already urged him to enjoy himself and not look back after the game is over.
Geremi won two Premier League championships with Chelsea, the club most firmly associated with Onana should he transfer this summer.
Whether or not this is Onana’s final game for Inter, Geremi wants his countryman to enjoy the moment.
Because it is such a unique and memorable occasion, he stated, “One of the biggest memories I have is walking out onto the field and hearing that Champions League song.”
He must offer everything he has; he is aware of what to do, and I wish him luck.
Along with the international fallout at the World Cup, Onani’s journey to this year’s final has not been straightforward.
Following a 12-month drug suspension that was subsequently lowered to nine months on appeal, his final season at Ajax was uneven.
After moving to Italy, Samir Handanovic of Serbia began the season as Inter’s first-choice goalie before being finally replaced by Onani.
Onani, however, had a successful start to the previous year as he assisted the host Cameroon in finishing third at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
After losing to eventual champions Egypt in the semi-final, Burkina Faso won the bronze medal by defeating them on penalties.
Mahrez ready to claim glory for North Africa
On Saturday, Onana will face off against a player whose Afcon experience wasn’t as positive as Onana’s.
Riyad Mahrez, a forward for the city, was unable to stop Algeria’s group-stage elimination after three losses.
However, as part of City’s attempt to win the Triple Crown, the 31-year-old has became the first African to win five Premier League titles.
Didier Drogba, a former striker for the Ivory Coast, had four championships to his credit, all won while playing for Chelsea.
Rabah Madjer, one of the first Fennec stars to play on the international stage, thinks Mahrez will win more trophies in the future because of his attempt to win the Treble, which has only ever been accomplished by Manchester United.
“Manchester City is the best team in Europe, in my opinion. This is a team that uses the ball really effectively, he remarked.
“Pep Guardiola is a wonderful coach, and this team has a lot of extremely excellent players.
We saw the most recent match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and it was a fantastic and well-deserved victory for City.
With Porto, 64-year-old Madjer won the European Cup in 1987. Porto defied expectations to defeat a talented Bayern Munich team.
The former striker, who had a 14-year international career with 28 goals, scored the first goal in a 2-1 victory and is cautioning Mahrez and City not to underestimate Inter and Onani.
He remembered the final in Vienna as “an amazing final.”
“It’s true that with players like [Andreas Brehme] and [Lothar] Matthaus on the Bayern side, they were an exceptional team, and we were extremely concerned. We played with a lot of rigor while playing against a team with a lot of experience.
“We won, and it will go down in history as one of the great games. It was outstanding.
