15 Jan 2017 14:52:19
National has been withdrawn from our squad?!? What?!?

Seems to imply (per BBC Sport) that's it's to do with ACON dispute!

I thought there was no case to answer there.

Do you have any insight into this Eds?

Thanks 🙂

{Ed002's Note - No - the club should have clarified the situation with FIFA.}

1.) 15 Jan 2017
15 Jan 2017 16:30:17
Thanks Ed, interesting that autocomplete makes National of Matip!

It does beggar belief that a commercial enterprise of such a size wouldn't have clarified this with FIFA. Let's hope it doesn't haunt us for this match.

2.) 16 Jan 2017
16 Jan 2017 08:11:00
Ed 002. As it is being reported, the club have not had any response from the Cameroon federation. I'm unsure as to how much time was available to resolve this. Perhaps the issue is that we didn't anticipate that the paperwork would not be completed.
Given the backdrop of the club vs. Country disagreement brewing over the WC expansion I can see FIFA using this issue to remind clubs of their power. Hope I'm not being paranoid.

{Ed002's Note - The onus is on the player's club (the secretary) to inform the country's FA and FIFA that he is retiring from the International game or injured and not available for selection. It, and Liverpool in general, has nothing whatsoever to do with the expansion of the World Cup.}