Manchester United Goalkeeper Andre Ona He has been awarded the FIFPRO Player Impact Award for his humanitarian work in his home country of Cameroon and across Africa.
Onana, 28, has an eponymous foundation that works to provide free healthcare and complex surgeries to underprivileged communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to a FIFPRO statement, medical professionals working with the Andre Onana Foundation have performed more than 1,200 surgeries in the past three years.
“When I went through Barcelona, Amsterdam and Milan on my way to Manchester United, I had people who helped me on that journey,” Ona said of the recognition.
“They gave me a hand when I was down so I could get up. I’ll never forget the support I received. Because of the people who supported me in the past, I feel like giving back and It is my responsibility to help others
“When I started the Andre Onana Foundation, the idea was to help blind children in Cameroon. We received a lot of support and it has become an NGO that provides free medical care and Surgery provides.”
Following in Onana’s footsteps, she became the second United player to receive the award. Marcus Rashfordwho received it from his campaign for free school meals for disadvantaged children in the UK in 2020.
FIFPRO, the professional footballers’ international union, is to donate $10,000 to Onana’s charity as part of the prize winnings.