Why does Matip not play for Cameroon

Liverpool defender Joel Matip has not played for Cameroon since 2015.

Joel Matip was born in Germany, but his parents are from Cameroon. The Liverpool defender made his debut for the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in 2010, when he was just 19 years old. He went on to play 16 times for the national team over the next four years, but has not represented them since 2015. This is because of a dispute between him and the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT). The issue centres around his club, Schalke 04, who wanted to release him for international duty during the summer of 2015. FECAFOOT said no, so Matip decided to quit international football altogether.

It’s been three years since Joel Matip last played for Cameroon and he has not featured in any squads since 2016. This is despite the fact that many other players have been called up despite having just as much or even less time available than him. In fact, there are some players who have been called up more often than him despite having only played one game more than him.

Why does Joel Matip not play for Cameroon?

Matip is still eligible to play for Cameroon as he hasn’t officially retired from international football. However, it seems unlikely that he will ever represent them again after being snubbed by FECAFOOT on multiple occasions. Since he has already represented Germany at youth level and had a spell with Schalke 04 in 2014/15 before being released early by FIFA due to eligibility issues with FECAFOOT.