François-Regis Mughe, the 19-year-old Olympique Marseille winger, has opted to stay in France in January instead of accepting the call-up for the African Cup of Nations for Cameroon.
Despite a brief illness, Mughe resumed training with his Marseille teammates on December 29, 2023.
With the offensive sector flourishing at Marseille, Mughe, who recently extended his contract until 2028, may see this as an opportunity for increased playing time according to L’Équipe.
His decision to decline the national team call-up is viewed as a personal choice, and he hasn’t received assurances of guaranteed playing time at Marseille.
The forward was listed amongst eight attackers summoned for the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire by Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song Bahanag.
However, the teenager has preferred staying in France for more playing minutes with Marseille to play for the Indomitable Lions at the AFCON.
The Cameroonian Federation’s response to Mughe’s decision remains uncertain, with the possibility of contacting FIFA for player suspension during the AFCON tournament.
The former Cameroon U23 player, who is yet to make his senior debut, has made just seven appearances for Marseille in the 2023-24 campaign.
