Afcon 2017: Diouf says Joel Matip & Allan Nyom will regret missing out

Nyom joined West Brom from Watford at the beginning of the season

Cameroon pair Joel Matip and Allan Nyom will regret missing the Africa Cup of Nations and should have listened to Bob Marley, according to El Hadji Diouf.

Cameroon are in the final despite West Brom's Nyom and Liverpool's Matip being among eight players to refuse call-ups.

"I don't understand people turning down their country," former Senegal striker Diouf told BBC World Service.

"And like the legend Bob Marley always said 'if you don't know where you come from, you don't know where to go'."

• Listen to more from El Hadji Diouf on BBC World Service

Cameroon beat Ghana 2-0 in Thursday's semi-final in Gabon to book a final meeting with Egypt on Sunday.

Diouf, who played for seven British clubs including Liverpool, Bolton and Blackburn, featured in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations final for Senegal, as well as the World Cup later that year.

He added: "Definitely they'll regret not playing in the Cup of Nations. After your career, what are you going to do? Stay living in Europe? To do what?

"It's always tough to be African, because you can be the best African coach but they'll never give you PSG, Barcelona, Liverpool or Manchester United.

"That's why I say to all the boys: don't turn down your country because the future of this world is in Africa."

As well as defenders Matip and Nyom, other Cameroon players refusing call-ups were Andre Onana (Ajax), Guy N'dy Assembe (Nancy), Maxime Poundje (Bordeaux), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Marseille), Ibrahim Amadou (Lille), and Eric Maxim Choupo Moting (Schalke) who pulled out after the initial seven.