Brazil 2014. Kana Biyik retires from Int’nal football after Brazil rejection

The Lions of Cameroon might have been inflicted long term defensive damage after Rennes  player Jean Armel Kana Biyik angrily announced he was retiring from international football to concentrate on his club career. He was reacting te what he considered an affront when Lion’s head coach Volke Finke refused to include him on the final list of 23 selected players apparently on doctors orders. The team doctor confirmed Kan Biyik was injured and unfit to play.

Jean Armel Kana Biyik

“I know my decision to quit (from international football) will surprise many people but the Cameroon team has too many bad things happening there”, he told Camfoot.com. “I don’t see myself playing in the team again. I decided to play for Cameroon because I loved the country of my parents and my ancestors”, the French born son of former Lions player Kana Biyik said. Before choosing to play for Cameroon, he had played for the French under 21 team and decided to play for Cameroon mainly because of the difficulties of playing for the French national team.

The unruly Kana Biyik who ended the season at Rennes suspended for indiscipline admitted he was injured before Volke Finke named him as part of the provisional 28 man team that trained in Austria. He however protested he  was in good form even after the team doctor said he was unfit to play because of a knee injury.  He said featuring on the final list of 23seleced players  had more to do with the infighting and back stabbing that was now the rule and not the excerption with the Lions and less with the performance of some players.  Asked if he will change his mind if some of the problems he says are inherent in the team are resolved, Kana Biyil was definitive. ”this is final; my international career ends here”.

Some sports fans told Iroko Magazine Kana Biyik was reacting like any angry young man and will reconsider his decision eventually when his frustration for not playing for his first world cup failed to materialize. At 24, he still has a long career ahead of him and like Samuel Eto’o Fils, Roger Milla and others before him, will eventually be persuaded to come out of retirement to defend the national colours.

Kana Biyik had his father to thank because his talents were spotted when he was only 13 and he played for three cadet teams including the junior team of French side Le Havre in 2005. He began playing for the senior team in 2008. Two years later (2010), he signed a four year contract with Rennes.

The 1.83m tall 90 kg Kana Biyik is a muscular player and  is French by birth and Cameroonian by ancestry. He is a defensive number 5.