Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie has rejected the chance to play for DR Congo at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The uncapped 23-year-old was named in the Leopards’ initial squad of 28 players bound for South Africa.
But his agent, Tony Finnigan, says he will not be accepting the call-up.
“He’s not going. Of course Yannick has thought about it but he just decided it’s not the right time at this stage,” Finnigan told BBC Sport.
“It would mean missing a lot of matches and that would disrupt his Palace career when he is just starting to play regularly.”
But Finnigan insisted that Bolasie has not ruled out the possibility of playing for DR Congo in the future.
“It’s an honour but he feels playing for Congo is something that can come later,” he continued.
“They are in a rebuilding process and have identified someone who might be important for the future.
“His parents still live over there and they are very keen but we’ve agreed it’s best to wait for now.”
Coach Claude Leroy’s initial squad also included uncapped Gabriel Zakuani, who also plays in the English Championship for Peterborough.
