‘When the coach didn’t count on me for me it was a kind of disrespect’
Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has admitted he felt disrespected by Cameroon coach Toni Conceicao during the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 32-year-old frontman featured for the Indomitable Lions in their first four games of the tournament, however, he was then dropped for the quarter-final and semi-final.
Despite initially being listed as the captain of the team by the Cameroon Football Federation for the third-placed play-off against Burkina Faso, the former Stoke City man was not even among the substitutes when the teamsheets were announced.
Following Cameroon’s sensational comeback from 3-0 down to win the bronze medal, Choupo-Moting explained he had decided he was not fit enough to play against Burkina Faso.
“Especially what happened in the quarter-final and semi-final when the coach didn’t count on me for me it was a kind of disrespect,” Choupo-Moting said after the game.
“I came here to help the team to win the Afcon. I am not a young 18-year-old player and I want to play and to give everything.
“At the end of the day I respect every decision from the coach, you have to as he is the boss but you don’t have to understand it – so I don’t understand.
“This is the reason I told him I was not fit to play today. But I will always be happy to represent Cameroon. It was just difficult.”
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Choupo-Moting sat in the stands with the other members of the squad who were not named amongst the substitutes, but the forward received a nice reception by the home crowd.
He was also involved in the celebrations as Cameroon won on penalties and picked up his bronze medal after the game.
Conceicao surprised many supporters when he chose not to bring on Choupo-Moting during the semi-final loss on penalties to Egypt.
However, the Indomitable Lions boss suggested that the Bayern man did not fit in with his tactical plan as he was making his substitutions.
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