Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has revealed that he deliberately provoked Coventry City fans during the penalty shootout of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley despite being on an earlier yellow card.
The Cameroonian was booked time wasting during the 120 minutes of action before getting a second yellow for causing a distraction during the shootout but was not sent off.
It was similar to Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez during their Europa Conference League win over Lille on Thursday.
The Argentine shot stopper was not sent off as the shootout was outside normal playing time and this emboldened Onana to do the same thing which led the Red Devils to a 4-2 shootout win as the game ended 3-3 after extra time.
“Before the penalties I knew that my first yellow card had been cancelled so I was aware of the rules,” the former Inter Milan player said.
“I had to make some provocation to some players and to use my tricks to win the game, so I’m happy for that.”
Onana’s failure to be sent off means he will be available for selection for the final against Manchester City, a repeat of last year’s final which the Citizens won 2-1.
It wasn’t our best day, but there’s nothing better than being able to play my first final defending this shirt. We stick together. 🔴👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/sjilreyDjL
— Andre Onana (@AndreyOnana) April 21, 2024
Reflecting on the Coventry game which United surrended a 3-0 lead, Onana put the blame on the players, starting with himself.
“Me, I start with myself, like I always say we are here to take all the bullets, you know? When things are not going good I will point fingers to big players, you know? Me, Bruno [Fernandes], Harry [Maguire], we have a big responsibility, of course,” he stated.
“Everything was under control and in the end we gave goals away. It’s more [on] us than other people.
“It’s a mixed feeling, of course. The most important thing is the victory, that we won.”
Onana will now turn his focus on United’s Premier League tie with relegation-threatened Sheffield United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
