AFCON 2017
Former Senegal international striker El Hadji Diouf believes Cameroon’s Allan Nyom and Joel Matip will regret turning their country down.
The Senegalese legend told the BBC website that the pair will rue missing the 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations and should have listened to one of Bob Marley’s songs.
Diouf was speaking after the Indomitable Lions managed to reach final of the tournament despite West Brom’s Nyom and Liverpool’s Matip being among eight players to refuse call-ups.
“I don’t understand people turning down their country,” Diouf told BBC World Service.
“And like the legend Bob Marley always said ‘if you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where to go’.”
The Indomitable Lions defeated the Black Stars 2-0 in Thursday’s semifinal in Gabon to book a final meeting with Egypt on Sunday.
Diouf, who played for seven British clubs including Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers, featured in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations final for Senegal, as well as the World Cup later that year.
“Definitely they’ll regret not playing in the Cup of Nations. After your career, what are you going to do? Stay living in Europe? To do what?” adds the legend.
“It’s always tough to be African, because you can be the best African coach but they’ll never give you Paris St Germain (PSG), Barcelona, Liverpool or Manchester United.
“That’s why I say to all the boys: don’t turn down your country because the future of this world is in Africa.”
