Cameroon starlet to stay at club until next week

Cameroon are allowing teenage prodigy Christian Kofane to remain at Bayer Leverkusen until after the weekend so that he can play in the key Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Kofane has featured in all but one of Leverkusen’s league games this season after being signed on a four-year deal from Spanish second division side Albacete at the start of the season.

All European clubs were supposed to release their players after the weekend’s matches, but Leverkusen have done a deal with both Burkina Faso and Cameroon.

German media on Wednesday said Kofane's agent, Eric Depolo, and Cameroon Football Federation president, Samuel Eto'o, maintain a very good relationship. They were pictured together in the VIP area of the BayArena at the Champions League match between Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain in October. Leverkusen’s management apparently used this opportunity to cultivate a good relationship with Eto'o, which is now proving advantageous for the club.

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Kofane, who is uncapped, will travel to the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, three days before Cameroon’s opening match against Gabon next Wednesday.