Newcastle: Club legend urges Yoane Wissa to skip AFCON 2025 with DR Congo | OneFootball

Yoane Wissa

Alan Shearer, a Newcastle and English football legend, doesn't want to see Yoane Wissa at AFCON 2025 with DR Congo.

The next edition of AFCON will be held in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. With just two months to go before the tournament, Congolese international Yoane Wissa is being urged to give up the continental competition to focus on Newcastle. According to Alan Shearer, Wissa should seize this opportunity to prove his worth to the Magpies, as he hasn't played a single minute since his summer move from Brentford for just over €50 million.

Shearer blames a knee injury, which he says was worsened by Wissa's decision to join his national team in September. Speaking to Betfair, Alan Shearer believes the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges native made the wrong call by honoring the call-up when he should have stayed in England to continue his recovery. "It will be a very tough decision for Wissa not to play at AFCON, because you always want to represent your country. But what I would say is that since he didn't train or play over the summer, he could have shown more responsibility by not playing as much as he did in those two matches (with DR Congo). It will be difficult, but I understand that a lot of people think he's never played for Newcastle and he needs to show loyalty to us. (...) Newcastle spent a lot of money on him and he still hasn't set foot on the pitch at St James' Park." he said.

According to Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, Wissa is expected to be sidelined for another two weeks.