Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is the shock omission from Cameroon’s 27-man Africa Cup of Nations squad after coach Rigobert Song sprang a major surprise on Thursday.
Despite boasting 73 caps and 20 goals, Bayern Munich striker Choupo-Moting has been excluded from the Indomitable Lions panel tasked with trying to reclaim the continental crown relinquished as hosts two years ago.
Given the 34-year-old’s experience and recent prominence with his country, his absence promises to be the main talking point rather than the returns of Nicolas Ngom and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.
Winger Ngom, 25, won the last of his five Cameroon caps at the 2022 World Cup and has been rewarded for his form with Sheriff Tiraspol this term.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Nkoudou is back in the international fold having struck eight times in 13 appearances on loan at Greek side Aris from parent club Besiktas.
There is no place for the injured Bryan Mbeumo but Song has plenty of attacking options to choose from regardless when Cameroon kick-off their Group D campaign against Guinea on January 15th.
Star strikers Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar – the outstanding performer of the 2021 AFCON – make the cut alongside Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s half-brother Joel Ekambi plus Clinton Njie and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.
With Algeria struggling for form, Cameroon will sense an opportunity to banish the memories of 2021’s semi-final shoot-out anguish by going all the way on home soil later this year.
🔴 Rigobert Song sur l’absence de Choupo Moting :
« Choupo Moting c’est un très bon joueur. Mais mes collaborateurs et moi nous sommes restés dans la continuité de ces derniers temps. Toutefois, je pense que c’est un joueur important mais il fallait faire un choix dans la… pic.twitter.com/y5kOzcEdpB
— AllezLesLions (@AllezLesLions) December 28, 2023
