Three days after completing his loan move from Man Utd, Andre Onana was handed his Trabzonspor debut by manager Fatih Tekke in their away match against Fenerbahce. The game quickly turned challenging for Trabzonspor when midfielder Okay Yokuslu was sent off in the 20th minute for violent conduct. Down to 10 men, the visitors' defense was under constant pressure, with Onana serving as the last line of defense.

Goalkeeper Onana during Trabzonspor's match against Fenerbahce in round 5 of the Super Lig at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey, on the evening of 14/9/2025. Photo: *CBS*

The 29-year-old goalkeeper faced 29 shots during the match. He made eight saves, including four diving stops, and prevented an expected 1.63 goals. This means an average goalkeeper would have conceded one to two goals in the same situation.

However, the Cameroonian keeper could have done better in the 45th minute. Former Man Utd teammate Fred unleashed a long-range shot that wasn't particularly powerful but was well-placed. Onana failed to hold onto the ball, spilling it directly to Sebastian Szymanski. The Polish player's shot deflected off Youssef En-Nesyri and into the empty net. En-Nesyri's goal handed Trabzonspor their first defeat of the season.

During his two previous seasons at Man Utd, Onana had been criticized for parrying shots back into danger rather than pushing them wide, creating rebound opportunities for opponents.

Despite his error leading to the goal, Onana received an 8.7 rating, according to Fotmob, and was named man of the match. Turkish media suggested that without his outstanding performance, Trabzonspor would have conceded more goals.

Onana joined Man Utd from Inter in 2023 for 64 million USD, but he failed to meet expectations at Old Trafford. In 102 appearances, he conceded 150 goals and kept only 24 clean sheets. This season, he played just once for Man Utd in the League Cup before being loaned to Trabzonspor.

Trabzonspor is currently third in the Super Lig with 10 points, level with Fenerbahce but having played one more game. Galatasaray leads the table with five wins from five matches. Onana is set to make his home debut for Trabzonspor against Gaziantep at Akyazi Stadium on September 20th.

Hoang An