Samuel Eto’o’s Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) has accused FC Nantes of discriminatory treatment after the club refused to release 17-year-old defender Lilian Djeudje for the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament takes place from 19 November to 13 December, but Nantes did not allow Djeudje, who can play in several defensive positions, to join Cameroon’s squad.
Fecafoot formally raised its concerns with the president of FC Nantes in a letter dated 10 November and signed by its secretary general, Isaac Noe Mandong.
The federation questioned what it described as “two different standards” in the club’s handling of its young players. Djeudje’s team-mate Loan Merrifield was permitted to join France U17 for the tournament, while Djeudje was not released to represent Cameroon.
Fecafoot said the contrasting decisions could be interpreted as discriminatory and referred to considerations it described as racist. The federation also argued that Nantes’ decision risked causing harm to Cameroon.
It renewed its request for the club to release Djeudje, warning that maintaining the decision could intensify suspicions of discrimination against the player.
Cameroon will begin their campaign in Group K against Venezuela in Doha on 21 November. Thomas Libiih’s side will then face Mexico on 24 November before completing the group stage against Romania on 27 November.
The first two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will progress to the last 16.
Cameroon are making their third appearance at the Under-17 World Cup, having previously competed in 2003 and 2019. They have never progressed beyond the group stage.
The federation currently has several players from prominent European clubs in its squad. They include Alfred Kotto of Real Madrid, Aviel Hentcho of Bayern Munich, Bassirou Nkoto of Manchester United and William Gueke of Manchester City.
The dispute over Djeudje comes as Cameroon prepare to try to improve on their previous performances in the competition. The team, also referred to in the article as the Lionceaux de l’Atlas, have yet to reach the knockout stages in their two earlier appearances.
