Andre Onana was widely praised for his performance during his Trabzonspor debut against Fenerbahce, with media and fans hailing his leadership and ability on the ball
Andre Onana
Andre Onana impressed on his Trabzonspor debut despite being on the losing side
(Image: Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Andre Onana has received rave reviews following his Trabzonspor debut, despite a losing start to his Turkish loan spell.
After losing his place as Manchester United's No.1 following a catalogue of blunders, Onana was moved on ahead of the transfer deadline, joining the Super Lig side on a season-long loan.
The Cameroonian made his debut for his new club on Sunday as Trabzonspor visited Fenerbahce, who also had a familiar face in goal as Ederson made his debut. And it was the former Manchester City stopper who was celebrating as Fenerbahce edged to a 1-0 victory against 10-man Trabzonspor.
Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal at the end of the first half after Onana had parried a shot from ex-United midfielder Fred. The ball was then squared to En-Nesyri, who converted from close range.
Despite the result, Onana’s performance went down well with fans and Turkish media. 61saat.com said Onana had “dazzled in his first appearance” and had earned “rave reviews from fans for his performance.”
Andre Onana during his Trabzonspor debut
Onana kept Trabzonspor in the game after they were reduced to 10 men
The title lauded his ability with the ball at his feet, saying: “His footwork allowed him to build play from the back. At times, he would weave between the defenders to join the passing game, enabling his team to push forward with short, audacious passes. At one point, he even went as far as midfield to take a free kick.”
Onana was also praised for his “leadership” after “rushing” to calm down an irate Paul Onuachu, who had just been booked for dissent after seeing a goal disallowed.
Meanwhile, the Haberler website credited Onana, who was named player of the match with a rating of 8.7, for “single-handedly” keeping Trabzonspor in the game after they had been reduced to 10 men following Okay Yokuslu’s 20th-minute red card.
Andre Onana
Onana was praised for his leadership(Image: Getty Images)
They also praised Onana's conduct, calling him a “kind of big brother to his team-mates with his experience” and saying he “installed confidence with his leadership on the pitch.”
The performance was a far cry from many of his displays under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, who only picked Onana for the Carabao Cup humiliation at Grimsby Town this season, while Altay Bayindir was preferred for Premier League action.
Despite the arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, Bayindir kept his place for Sunday’s derby defeat at City. Amorim must decide whether to stick with Bayindir or hand Lammens his debut against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday.