AFCON 2025: Cameroon make controversial squad cuts, drop Onana and Aboubakar

Cameroon have sparked widespread debate across African football after leaving out senior stars André Onana and Vincent Aboubakar from their final squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Sport360NG reports.

The surprise omissions were confirmed on Monday, when football transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano disclosed that both players had been excluded from the Indomitable Lions’ AFCON plans. “André Onana and Vincent Aboubakar have been left out of the Cameroon squad for the AFCON,” Romano posted.

The decision represents a significant departure from Cameroon’s usual reliance on its most seasoned figures. Onana, one of the continent’s top goalkeepers with experience at elite European clubs, has been a central figure for the national team at major tournaments. Aboubakar, the long-serving captain and a prolific forward, has been instrumental in Cameroon’s recent AFCON campaigns, including their 2017 triumph.

Their absence signals a strategic shift under the team’s restructured leadership, with a strong emphasis on renewal. The newly released squad list highlights a broader generational transition, with emerging talents and relatively untested players handed an opportunity to establish themselves ahead of the tournament in Morocco.

The move comes amid changes in the players’ club careers as well. Sport360NG previously reported that Onana recently completed a loan switch to Turkish side Trabzonspor for the remainder of the 2025–26 season.

While the Cameroonian Football Federation has not yet offered an official explanation for dropping the influential duo, the decision is set to dominate pre-tournament discussions as the Indomitable Lions prepare for a challenging AFCON campaign.