Perennial club versus country tug of war continues as Cup of Nations kicks off

ABIDJAN : Nigeria will allow striker Terem Moffi to play for French club Nice at the weekend before he heads to the Africa Cup of Nations but Cameroon are blocking teenager Regis Mughe from turning out for Marseille after he refused a call-up to the finals.

The two contrasting approaches come in the perennial club versus country battle that marks the two-yearly tournament.

The Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Abidjan on Saturday, is being held mid-season and FIFA rules mean clubs must give up their players for the continental championship even if they then miss crucial domestic games over the next weeks.

It is a situation which draws repeated fire from aggrieved coaches and puts the players in an awkward situation of having to choose club over country or vice versa.

Sometimes compromises are reached, however, like Andre Onana staying at Manchester United to play against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday before flying out to the tournament in the Ivory Coast. He will likely miss Cameroon’s opening game against Ghana on Monday.

Moffi, who is his club’s top scorer this season with six, was a late call-up by Nigeria this week and it has been agreed he can stay and play against Stade Rennais on Saturday and miss Nigeria’s opening game on Sunday.

But Olympique de Marseille teenager Mughe, who turned down a call-up by Cameroon, has been blocked from playing for his club.

It was a first call-up from Cameroon for the 19-year-old but with another seven Marseille players also heading to the Cup of Nations, he felt it an opportunity to stay behind and get some playing time in the first team.

"I read that it was us, as a club, who advised him not to go to the Nations Cup," said Marseille coach Gennaro Gattuso. "I want to make it clear, it was