Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has decided to focus on his club commitments by withdrawing from AFCON. - © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA / Lukas Schulze
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has decided to focus on his club commitments by withdrawing from AFCON. - © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA / Lukas Schulze

Choupo-Moting withdraws from AFCON to focus on Schalke

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Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has decided to focus on his club commitments by turning down the chance to represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in what will come as a major boost to FC Schalke 04 coach Markus Weinzierl.

The 27-year-old Cameroonian forward was expected to represent his country at the Africa Cup of Nations this month, but as the Gelsenkirchen club announced on Tuesday, he has instead decided to stick with them and join his teammates in Benidorm, where they are preparing for the second half of the Bundesliga season.

Choupo-Moting has represented his country 41 times and scored 11 goals, but he will not be adding to that tally this month. That is not to say he will not play for Cameroon again in future, according to the Royal Blues, for whom he has played 13 times in the Bundesliga this season, scoring three goals.

Schalke are nevertheless set to lose Algerian midfieler Nabil Bentaleb and Ghana defender Abdul Rahman Baba for the next few weeks, as the duo head to Gabon for the tournament. Meanwhile Franco Di Santo and Coke have stayed behind in Germany to complete individual training routines in their bids to recover from respective stomach and knee injuries.