Off the Crossbar: Email address controversy prevents Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting from joining Cameroon squad

In what is truly a bizarre story, Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is mired in an email controversy that involves the striker, his father, Bayern Munich, and the Cameroon national team.

Per a report from Tz, Choupo-Moting was not invited (or was he?) to join his countrymen for the Africa Cup qualifiers:

The Lewandowski substitute is the captain of the “Invincible Lions” — the national team of Cameroon. Choupo-Moting, as FC Bayern confirmed in response to a Tz request, is definitely not going to the games, which are against Cape Verde (March 26th) and Rwanda (March 30th) in Group F of the Africa Cup qualifiers.

But why Choupo-Moting remains in Germany during this international break is what has caused a frenzy. Here is the quick breakdown:

• Cameroon published the list of players who were called up for this international break.
• Choupo-Motting’s name was not featured on the list.
• When pressed Cameroon manager Antonio Conceiçao said that Choupo-Moting had not responded to his invitation.

This did not sit well with Choupo-Moting’s father, Camille Just Choupo-Moting, who hit the media to say that this was not his son’s fault:

Choupo-Moting’s father and manager Camille Just Choupo-Moting vehemently denied this. He, himself, was called in to clear up the matter for the association, he told Naja TV: “I was contacted by the association to find out what was going on. I contacted FC Bayern and they confirmed that they had not received the invitation.”

The issue, it seems, had to do with the email address where the invitation was allegedly sent:

(Camille Just Choupo-Moting)’s son was ready to play for Cameroon and is preparing for it. Bavaria allowed this. But the invitation never arrived. The striker’s father continued: “It looks like she sent it to the wrong email address instead. For me, that’s a lack of professionalism. When sending invitations, be sure to send them to the correct address. If that doesn’t happen, I don’t understand why it’s the club’s or Maxim’s fault.”

It seems unfathomable in this day and age of instant communication through various mediums that no one was able to track Choupo-Moting. Regardless, the veteran will stay in Bavaria during this break and prepare for the stretch run of Bayern Munich’s season.