By DEWAH Fabrice TEH
Sports writer, Kick442.com-Cameroon
The Head Coach of the Moroccan senior men’s national football says European based Moroccan players who will not respect his calls to represent the Atlas Lions during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, will be sidelined from national team duties during the rest of his tenure as the team’s lead trainer.
In an interview with French news organ L’Equipe, Vahid Halilhodzic said despite being aware of the difficulties African players presently find themselves going through in aspects of choosing between playing for clubs and national teams, he will still need to be strict and will have players who turn down his calls to represent Morocco during the 2021 AFCON sidelined from the Atlas Lions.
“There is a big question, will it happen now or not? It’s a big battle between different lobbying.
The players are forced to come to the national team, but all the clubs are doing everything so that the players do not come. Some have threatened players, told them that they can lose their place or be transferred.” The Bosnian tactician partly stated.
“Presumably, it will be a big problem to have all the players playing in Europe. For my part, if a player doesn’t come, that suggests he doesn’t have enough of an attachment to the national team.
I could refuse to call up someone who doesn’t want to come, even if there is a threat from clubs. That player can say goodbye to the national team.” The former Japan and Nantes lead trainer concluded.
Vahid Halilhodzic’s declaration comes days after European Clubs Association early this week wrote to FIFA demanding a permission to exclude its African players from travelling for the upcoming AFCON tournament due what they say is fear of the novel Coronavirus pandemic and the crucial match fixtures the European clubs will have during the tournament.
The action led to most African national team coaches whose teams qualified for the AFCON, panicking including the Moroccan trainer despite having most of his first choice players for the national team plying their trade on the African continent including the Moroccan top tier championship, the Botola Pro.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco are lodged in Pool C of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
The North Africans who will be in their 18th appearance in the final phase of the tournament, will battle out with four time holders, Ghana, debutants Comoros Island and 1996 and 2012 quarterfinalists, Gabon at the group stage at the Yaounde Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium as the team chase its first title in the competition since its glorious 1976 finish as champions.
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