Samuel Eto’o is a keep player for the Cameroon national team
Striker Samuel Eto’o has committed to play for Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations in January, according to reports in the Spanish media.
Spanish sports daily Marca reported that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had met earlier this week with the player’s representative Jose Maria Mesalles to discuss the issue.
During the meeting it was made clear to the Catalan club that Eto’o would answer his country’s call.
Cameroon face the defending champions Egypt as well as Sudan and Zambia in their first round of the competition, which starts on 20 January and runs until 10 February.
Eto’o has been on the sidelines since the start of September with a thigh injury.
But he is expected to return to action before the end of November which will give him just a handful of games to get match fit before travelling to Ghana for the tournament.
He could miss up to four of Barcelona’s league games at a crucial period in the season and the Spanish Cup quarter-finals are also scheduled while he is likely to be on international duty.
Barcelona are currently second in the Spanish first division but only one point behind league leaders and their bitter rivals Real Madrid.
« I don’t know if they’ll go (the African Nations Cup) and I hope they don’t but we can’t force them, » said Begiristain last month, referring to Eto’o and the club’s the Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure.
Eto’o refused to reveal what his plans were when he appeared at a promotional event earlier this week.
« All I want to do is play football. This issue about the Cup has to be resolved between my club and the Cameroon federation, » said Eto’o, answering the inevitable question about whether he would be playing for Cameroon.
Sources close to the player have told Spanish newspapers that Eto’o is frustrated because he feels he is in a no-win situation, and will inevitably be viewed as disloyal by whichever set of fans he abandons.
Eto’o is among several of Africa’s leading footballers to have called in recent months for the African Nations Cup to be re-scheduled so that it does not conflict with the European leagues.
Phil Minshull
BBC Sport, Spain
