Finally, a superstar player has come out to say he's definitely playing in the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, who plies his trade for FC Barcelona, has committed to play for Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations in January, according to reports in the Spanish media.
Spanish sports daily MARCA reported that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had met earlier this week with the player's representative Jose Maria Mesalles to discuss the issue.
During the meeting it was made clear to the Catalan club that Eto'o would play for his country.
Eto'o has missed much of the season with a thigh injury.
But he is expected to return to action before the end of November which will give him just a handful of games to get match fit before traveling to Ghana for the tournament.
He could miss up to four of Barcelona's league games at a critical period in the season. He could also miss the Spanish Cup quarter-finals, which are scheduled while he is to be on international duty.
Barcelona are currently second in the Spanish La Liga but only one point behind league leaders and bitter rivals Real Madrid.
"I don't know if they'll go (the African Nations Cup) and I hope they don't but we can't force them," said Begiristain last month, referring to Eto'o and the club's other African star, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure.
Eto'o refused to reveal what his plans were when he appeared at a promotional event earlier this week.
"All I want to do is play football. This issue about the Cup has to be resolved between my club and the Cameroon federation," said Eto'o, answering the inevitable question about whether he would be playing for Cameroon.
Sources close to the player have told Spanish newspapers that Eto'o is frustrated because he feels he is in a no-win situation, and will inevitably be viewed as disloyal by whichever set of fans he abandons.
Eto'o is among several of Africa's leading footballers to have called in recent months for the African Nations Cup to be re-scheduled so that it does not conflict with the European leagues.
Cameroon face defending champions Egypt as well as Sudan and Zambia in their first round of the competition, which starts on January 20 and runs until February 10.
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