Confederations Cup 2017: 10 Players To Watch

5. André Onana (Cameroon)

At the age many boys were first accidentally cutting their faces as they tentatively got to grips with a razor, a thirteen year old André Onana was beginning a new life in Barcelona's youth team, nearly 4000km away from his home in Cameroon.

The young goalkeeper never managed to break into the Blaugrana's first team, opting to join Ajax after five years at La Masia. Still a teenager, Onana had to remain patient before he could crack the Dutch side's first eleven, and it was only when Jasper Cillessen completed a satisfying rhyming couplet by moving to Barcelona that the young Cameroonian finally received an opportunity.

With supposed back-up Tim Krul nursing a persistent injury, Peter Bosz was left with little choice but to place his trust in Onana. The budding shot-stopper didn't waste the chance.

Although he had a shaky start, Onana quickly blossomed into one of the Eredivisie's most dependable custodians. By the time Krul had recovered, there was no place for him. Ajax might have missed out on the Eredivisie title, but Feyenoord's margin would surely have been greater were it not for Onana's impressive total of 21 clean sheets, a record which also helped the side progress to the Europa League final.

Onana made his full Cameroon debut last September - his only cap so far - but given the experimental nature of the ConfedCup, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him selected ahead of regular net-minder Fabrice Ondoa.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.