Just In: Napoli President De Laurentiis Pushing Anguissa to Skip AFCON 2025
-Napoli’s push to defend the Scudetto is running headlong into a major international conflict.
– With the AFCON 2025 looming, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reportedly pressuring his star midfielder, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, to abandon his commitment to the Cameroon national team, per sportglitz sources.
– The tension is amplified by Anguissa’s indispensable form—the 29-year-old has already delivered four goals and one assist this season—making his absence a potential disaster that could derail the club’s championship ambitions and revive the president’s controversial stance on African players
The upcoming AFCON 2025 tournament looms large on the horizon, casting a familiar shadow of concern over European clubs, none more so than Napoli. At the heart of their anxieties is Cameroonian midfield linchpin, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, whose potential absence represents a significant blow to their Serie A ambitions.
His robust presence and crucial contributions in the engine room are vital this season, where he has already demonstrated his goal-scoring capability, directly powering Napoli’s title challenge.
Through the initial part of the 2025/2026 campaign, Anguissa has been in excellent form, registering four goals and one assist in Serie A matches, a haul that includes a recent match-winning effort. In fact, his decisive header secured a 1-0 victory at Lecce in late October, directly contributing to Napoli moving to the top of the Serie A table as the reigning champions attempt to fend off rivals. His outstanding displays have also been recognized individually, having already earned five Man of the Match trophies this season, putting to tje fore his influence in the midfield. His current goal tally alone highlights his transformation into a key attacking threat.
The club’s actions and history paint a clear picture of their desire to retain their prized asset. Napoli’s apprehension is not new; it is a recurring narrative that highlights the tension between club interests and international duty.
The club’s reliance on Anguissa is evident in recent transfer rumors, with reports suggesting Napoli is actively scouting midfielders like Kobbie Mainoo, partly to mitigate the impact of Anguissa’s expected AFCON participation. His loss, even temporarily, would be a tactical nightmare for any coach, including Antonio Conte.
This isn’t Zambo Anguissa’s first dance with the complexities of international calls. A significant chapter in his career unfolded in 2017 while at Marseille, when he, alongside a host of other prominent Cameroonian talents including André Onana, Joël Matip, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, reportedly denied a call-up by then-coach Hugo Broos. This collective decision, often attributed to various grievances or a desire to focus on club careers, underscored the challenges national teams face in securing their top players when major tournaments conflict with crucial club fixtures.
Adding another layer to this intricate dynamic is the highly controversial stance of Napoli’s outspoken president, Aurelio De Laurentiis. Known for his often-blunt remarks, De Laurentiis has a well-documented history of friction surrounding African players and the AFCON. His past comments have ignited considerable backlash, particularly his infamous declaration that he would “not sign African players unless they sign a waiver giving up their right to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations.”
This contentious policy stemmed directly from previous issues with star players like Senegal’s former defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen, whose absences for AFCON tournaments significantly impacted Napoli’s form.
Both players faced the same difficulty and club pressure in balancing their Serie A commitments with representing their nations at the tournament. De Laurentiis’s frustration boiled over to the point where he reportedly instructed scouts “not to propose him any more African players,” a statement that rightfully drew widespread criticism for its perceived discriminatory undertones.
While De Laurentiis has since attempted to clarify his remarks, the sentiment of prioritizing club availability remains evident. The current situation with Anguissa serves as a potent reminder of this struggle. For Napoli, the prospect of losing a player of Anguissa’s caliber, even temporarily, is a significant blow. For the player, the choice between national pride and club obligations can be an unenviable one, especially when their club has such a vocal and controversial history on the matter.
As AFCON 2025 draws nearer, all eyes will be on Zambo Anguissa and Napoli, waiting to see how this familiar club-versus-country drama will unfold once more. First off for Anguissa is national team activity in the FIFA November window, where Cameroon is part of a mini four-team World Cup Playoffs tournament.
