André Onana has faced scrutiny following back-to-back mistakes, including a significant error in Sporting CP’s 2-1 Europa League victory over Viktoria Plzeň.
However, manager Rúben Amorim has firmly defended the Cameroonian goalkeeper, emphasizing his contributions to the team and urging a focus on improvement.
The latest error came during Thursday’s match when a lapse in coordination between Onana and defender Matthijs de Ligt led to a goal for the Czech side.
Despite the setback, Sporting managed to secure the win, a testament to their resilience and collective effort.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Amorim addressed the incident.
Onana has experienced this in the past.
We have to work on it,” he said, signaling his confidence in the goalkeeper’s ability to recover from the mistakes.
Amorim elaborated on the play that led to the blunder, explaining the team’s tactical approach and the breakdown in execution.
If you look at the situation, we try to build through the goalkeeper and Matta [Matthijs de Ligt], but this time the coordination was not good.
That made the start of the second half difficult, but we managed it.
Onana’s recent struggles have not gone unnoticed.
A similar error during a league match the previous weekend had already placed him under the spotlight.
However, Amorim was quick to shift attention to the goalkeeper’s past heroics and the team’s overall support.
This time we were able to help Onana because he has saved us many times in the past,” Amorim added, reinforcing the idea that his errors do not overshadow his prior contributions.
Amorim’s comments reflect his trust in Onana and highlight the broader philosophy of focusing on team unity and improvement rather than singling out individuals.
For Onana, the manager’s faith represents an opportunity to bounce back and demonstrate his reliability in future matches.
Sporting CP’s victory over Viktoria Plzeň was crucial in maintaining their momentum in the Europa League campaign.
Despite the defensive lapse, the team showcased their ability to adapt and overcome challenges, with Amorim’s leadership providing a stabilizing influence during difficult moments.
As Sporting looks ahead to its upcoming fixtures, the focus will likely remain on refining tactical execution and bolstering Onana’s confidence.
For the goalkeeper, the path to redemption lies in learning from these experiences while continuing to be a key figure for his team.
