Hongla’s strained relationship with national team reason for omission from AFCON squad?
Indomitable Lion, Martin Hongla, has expressed disappointment at his absence from the AFCON 2023 provisional squad, indicating that he has not been treated fairly lately by the national team.
Martin Hongla was guest on the CFOOT radio show “Le Onze Entrant” on Thursday, December 21, where he said his experience with the national team from the time he lost his dad this year, has not been good.
At the time he was bereaved he made a post citing his abandonment by the national team. It created tension which he suggested could be the reason for his omission from the squad.
“My post was not meant to attack anyone. It came from my heart, because a man or a child when he loses his daddy, he needs his second family to help him” Hongla said. “The national team is my second family. I will never regret the message because it came from my heart. I have been feeling abandoned.”
“If today I’m not called up because of x or y, I’ll accept it.”
The Hellas Verona midfielder did not feature on Song’s provisional list for the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.
“I have no problem with anyone in the national team whether it’s the staff or the players” Hongla reiterated. He said he is “simply feeling abandoned”.
