With barely 9 days to go for the start of the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations 2023 scheduled to hold in Cote d’Ivoire on the 13th of January 2024, while a couple of selections have started taking their various quarters in the host country, Cameroon is busy making headlines in newspapers and social media platforms alike.
First it was the non-selection of deputy indomitable lions captain Maxim Tchoupo Moting and right back maestro Fai Collings into Coach Rigobert Song’s 27 man list. Not forgetting the controversial 17 year old newcomer Wilfred Nathan Douala raised a lot of suspicion as many think he is older than what he claims to be, then now it is Francois Regis Mughe who has turned down.
From all indications, the 19 year old Olympic Marseilles attacker is not well advised for making that kind of a decision which could attract him some stinks from the Cameroon FA. His decision to turn down the call to defend the national colors because he wants to accumulate much playing time in his team does not sound a good one at all, since nothing gives him the certainty that coach Gennaro Ghatuzo of OM will continue to maintain him in the first 11 after the AFCON. “That is not the way to gain playing time” former French footballer and renown football consultant, Jean Michel Larque exclaimed. It should be noted that this is not the first time that Mughe is putting up this behavior. He did same in the eliminatory match towards the same AFCON that Cameroon plaid against Burundi.
Also FECAFOOT could report to FIFA and ask that he should not play any game in Marseille till after the Africans nation’s cup as the rule stipulates. Putting on your country’s colors in a continental rendezvous is always the dream of many footballers though some might not find it important to come for their personal reasons, in that case they don’t let the coach select them. This case could push observers to ask questions on the communication network between Coach Song and his players. Francois Mughue did not just get up in a bad foot one morning to tear his invitation to the continental football fiesta knowing fully well that he will attract critics from all angles. It would have been very tactful for Mughe’s communication team to contact the Indomitable Lion’s management earlier. As it stands, the FECAFOOT will have to react to discourage this kind of attitude in the future
With the situation at hand many are foreseeing Choupo Moting to replace Francois-Regis Mughe so as to Rigobert Songs AFCON list. But the big question stays, will he answer the call, Owing to his ego, considering that he was not initially selected and now he is being called up as a spare tire to replace a younger player. It is true that the 34 year old Bayern of Munich forward has gravitated echelons in the national team up to becoming the vice-captain but in some point of view it was logical for Coach Rigobert Song not to call him up looking at the resent state of his physic that is not very favorable as compared to what it used to be. Choupo has recently gone through several injuries that have kept him more frequent at the medics than in the pitch. In 14 matches at the Bundes Liga, Choupo Moting has made only three appearances. This has certainly motivated the Indomitable Lion’s coach show is favor towards young attackers in the likes of Faris Moubanya and Franck Magri whose present forms in their various teams does no longer need to be emphasized.
However, while waiting for their first match that comes up on the 15th, the five times African champions are gathered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for an intense preparation with an ambition to grab the sixth star on their chest at the end of the Cote d’ Ivoire rendezvous. Whether or not will they reach their objective, that is another question as the Cameroon squad for this edition is more youthful than experience.
Nevertheless, football analysts think that Coach Rigobert Song has done his homework, that of building a team for the future.