André Onana enjoyed his return under the bar at Ajax on Wednesday evening. The keeper surprisingly got a starting spot on a visit to Besiktas (1-2 win) and made some important saves. Onana had not expected his starting place and was nervous before the game, he says in an interview with Ajax TV.
“It gives a very good feeling”, the Cameroonian beams. “I was a little stressed before the game, but my teammates helped me. They talked to me and put me at ease. I’m glad everything went well.” Especially ‘at the beginning’ Onana was nervous. “When we walked into the stadium and sat in the dressing rooms, I was nervous. Some players could see it in me. Nous (Noussair Mazraoui, ed.), said to me: ‘André, you’re not normally like that.’ Zaka (Zakaria Labyad, ed.), also said something like that. It was a special moment for me. I’m here to help the team.”
Oh dear! André Onana prevents worse for Ajax with a great save. Just a few more minutes until the break. #UCL #BESAJA pic.twitter.com/khzlAlM5hs
— VTBL ? (@vtbl) Nov 24, 2021
Onana was ‘naturally’ surprised by the news that he was allowed to appear at the kick-off. “Certainly because Remko plays very well and so does the team,” says the keeper who returned from a doping suspension. “I’m happy with how things are going and with the win. I hope we’re going to make history this year.” His return felt like a second debut. “Ten months is a long time. It wasn’t easy for me. I’m happy to be back,” said Onana. “You have to endure a lot. You learn from the shit. I am happy and I try to see only the positive. I try to look ahead.”
Pasveer left a good impression under the bar at Ajax during Onana’s absence. Onana therefore does not think that he was putting pressure on his competitor. “Remko and I have a good relationship. But the pressure is mainly on me. I am not going to compare myself to Remko after such a long time. He is doing very well. I just wanted to get into the rhythm and hope it would be okay everything went well today.”