Burkina Faso's leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré and Cameroonian and Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana lavished each other with praises as the two met in the West African country. 

Onana visited the country for a charity event organised by the Bertrand Traoré foundation, a non-profit led by Ajax striker and Burkina Faso national football team captain Bertrand Traoré. 

Captain Traoré hosted Onana earlier this week and the pair posed for photos as the football star presented the leader with his Manchester United jersey. 

The Cameroonian termed his visit as an “unforgettable experience” that was “full of learning”. 

“My deepest thanks to the president and to the Burkinabè people for their hospitality. This visit allowed me to better discover the human and cultural richness of the country,” Onana wrote in a post on Instagram. 

The Burkina Faso leader praised the football star's visit as a symbolic gesture of continental solidarity, according to a Cameroonian news website.

It is "proof of what we are looking for, our mission, that Africa should unite,” he is quoted as saying. 

The 37-year-old leader took power in a 2022 coup d'état and has been capturing hearts and minds across Africa for his passionate positions on pan-Africanism. He has also been critical of the outsize influence of the West on African nations.

His message has drawn a huge following on social media especially among the youth, with his admirers comparing him to Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara.

The Bertrand Traoré foundation, which organised Onana’s visit, supports social projects for disadvantaged children in Burkina Faso, according to details on its website.