[funkdoctorspock]

Eto'o is a major player for Cameroon and if he agrees and declines to play I can only imagine the uproar.

Yaya I'm guessing, will endure the same.

Do you think Barcelona/or any team for that matter are within there rights to ask players to decline playing for there Nation team tournaments?

MADRID, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Barcelona have asked Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure not to represent their countries at the African Nations Cup in Ghana in January.

'I don't know if they'll go and I hope they don't but we can't force them,' Barca sports director Txiki Begiristain told Spanish radio station RAC1.

'For Eto'o it would be a strange year. Injury, recovery and then international duty. I asked Toure before we signed him.

'Ronaldinho did not go to the Copa America (in June) and it was a brave decision. But I understand how important they are for their countries.'

Eto'o, the three-times African Player of the Year, has been sidelined since the beginning of September after undergoing surgery on a thigh injury. Toure, who is also out with a thigh injury, joined Barca from Monaco in June.

Ronaldinho, along with AC Milan's Kaka, both asked to be left out of Dunga's Brazil squad for the Copa America in Venezuela in June, saying they needed a break from playing.

The African Nations Cup runs from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10.
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[zarafa]

no they dont have the rights to ask players not to play in tournaments. which bothers me that those clubs just think that asian, african cups and copa america is NOT important and players playing for them should just refuse to participitate in them so they can play for the club. i dont see them asking european players not to play in a euro cup qualifier or tournament. how on earth do these clubs expect those tournaments to take a step forward in quality and competetion if the best players should stick with clubs and ignore the national teams. i mean i would understand them getting frustrated if it was a friendly game, but not a major tournament

[vampire_goda]

this is not afear .. let me tell u why
if it is amajor cup .. it will be totaly agreed for all players to be played in ..
but let me tell u that the african football has many players playing in the most famous clubs all over the world .. like essien/ toure/ drogba/ eto/moh zidan/
and other players .. so why they mind players to not play ..
we all love to see great matches and i think that .. africa has great teams capleable of facing any ather teams .. and that we see in last world cup ..
i promise to see agreat matches .. hope to see all players in this african cup ..

[mrsirjojo]

Originally Posted by vampire_goda

this is not afear .. let me tell u why
if it is amajor cup .. it will be totaly agreed for all players to be played in ..
but let me tell u that the african football has many players playing in the most famous clubs all over the world .. like essien/ toure/ drogba/ eto/moh zidan/
and other players .. so why they mind players to not play ..
we all love to see great matches and i think that .. africa has great teams capleable of facing any ather teams .. and that we see in last world cup ..
i promise to see agreat matches .. hope to see all players in this african cup ..

Let them play. but if they're tired, or get injured, keep it in mind when they're ready to start again. Maybe they don't get that call?