After refusing his international call-up, L’Équipe reports, that Mamadou Samassa (33) will play no part in Mali’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
The goalkeeper for Ligue 2 side, Stade Lavallois, had been included in his nation’s preliminary squad for the tournament after his performances for Les Tango had earned him recognition from the Mali national coach, Eric Sekou Chelle.
Samssa since joining Laval in the summer has become an undisputed starter for the side in their promotion chase, which is an impressive feat, when according to L’Équipe the goalkeeper had considered giving up on the sport before the transfer.
The Mali international considers Laval as key to the recovery of his career having struggled to find consistent football for the last few years, and explained to Chelle that he could not in good conscience leave them.
It appears that Chelle has understood and accepted Samassa’s reasonings and the national federation will not look to sanction the player for refusing to represent the nation.
The Mali coach also noted that this move will not necessarily rule out the goalkeeper from future call-ups, but for now, Samassa will not be a part of the Mali campaign.
