Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana has been awarded the FIFPRO Player Impact Award for humanitarian work in his home country of Cameroon and across Africa.
Onana, 28, has an eponymous foundation which works to provide free healthcare and complex surgeries in underprivileged communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Medical professionals working with the André Onana Foundation have performed over 1,200 surgeries in the past three years, according to FIFPRO’s statement.
“When I passed through Barcelona, Amsterdam and Milan on my way to Manchester United, I had people who helped me on that journey,” Onana said of the recognition.
“When I was down, they gave me a hand so that I could stand up. I’ve never forgotten the help I received. Because of the people in the past who supported me, I feel I have a responsibility to give back and help others.
“When I started the André Onana Foundation, the idea was to help blind children in Cameroon. We received a lot of support and it’s since grown to become an NGO that provides free medical care and surgeries to children and adults from underprivileged communities.”
Onana becomes the second United player to collect the award, following in the footsteps of Marcus Rashford, who earned it with his campaign for free school meals for disadvantaged children in the UK in 2020.
FIFPRO, the global union for professional footballers, is to donate $10,000 to Onana’s charity as part of his winning of the prize.