Cameroon striker Samuel Eto`o could miss out on next year`s African Cup of Nations in order to play for club side Barcelona.
"Eto`o intends not to go to the Cup of Nations in order to concentrate only on Barca," ran a headline in the Barcelona-based sports daily El Mundo Deportivo on Monday.
The newspaper has traditionally close links to the Catalan club.
Eto`o missed the Indomitable Lions` friendly against Morocco last week in order to prepare for Barcelona`s match against arch-rivals Real Madrid.
The two-time African Footballer of the Year scored the opening goal in a match Barcelona won 3-0 on Saturday.
"In principle, he could be fined by the Cameroon federation, just like (Cameroon goalkeeper) Kameni when he decided to prioritise
Espanyol in the summer," said the paper.
"Samuel is trying to provoke the issue so that he doesn`t have to go to the African Cup of Nations because he doesn`t want to miss a month of Barca`s season.
"Eto`o has placed the club above everything and carrying on playing in the Spanish league will permit him to keep trying for the European Golden Boot," commented the newspaper.
Barcelona have three league matches during the period of the Cup of Nations. The Spanish Cup quarter and semi-finals are also scheduled for that period.
The striker has kept his cards close to his chest about whether he intends to go to Egypt but he is known to be exasperated with the administration of the national team.
El Mundo Deportivo said Eto`o is expected to make a public statement in the next few days.
