Cameroon striker Eric Choupo-Moting has made himself unavailable to play in the 2017 African Nations Cup (AFCON) finals in Gabon in order to stay with his German club Schalke 04.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Choupo-Moting followed seven other Cameroon players, including his former Schalke team mate Joel Matip, in declining to play at the tournament.
“Choupo-Moting will be part of the Schalke squad that will travel to Benidorm for a winter training camp on Wednesday,” the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday.
NAN reports that the 2017 AFCON is holding in Gabon, and it starts on Jan. 14.
Choupo-Moting was the latest player to put club before country ahead of AFCON, raising questions again over the timing of the tournament in the middle of the season in Europe.
NAN recalls that clubs in Europe provide the vast majority of players for the 16 competing countries at the competition.(Reuters/NAN)