A new chapter is unfolding for the Song family in Cameroonian football. Bryan Song, the second son of the iconic former captain of the Indomitable Lions, Rigobert Song, has been called up to the U23 national team.
At almost 19 years old, this lateral defender, who plays with the reserve team of FC Metz in the French Ligue 1, will participate in a crucial preparation camp in view of the qualifiers for the next Africa U23 Cup of Nations (U23 AFCON). The gathering, orchestrated by coach Guy Feutchine, will take place in Alavès, Spain, from March 23 to 31.
Born in Paris on April 28, 2007, Bryan Song is following in the footsteps of his father, who also began his professional career at FC Metz. After a stint at Paris FC where he signed a contract at the age of 12, he returned to Metz in 2021 and signed his first professional contract there.
This training camp in Spain will allow Guy Feutchine to evaluate players based abroad, as highlighted by the press officer of the U23 Lions, David Eyengue. He also mentioned the possibility of integrating local players into the final selection, following the example of Jackson Tchatchoua's detection.
The main objective, according to the team press officer, is to identify players who have already proven themselves in the lower national teams (U17, U20) and who deserve a chance with the U23s. Feutchine hopes to unearth the talents that will make up the team for the 2027 U23 AFCON.
In addition to Bryan Song, the list of called-up players includes a strong presence of players playing in France (10) and England (5, including 3 from Manchester United). Players trained in France, such as Alexi Koum (Valenciennes FC) and Stéphane Noubissie (LOSC Lille), are also present.
The U23 AFCON, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is a quadrennial tournament that began in 2011. Until 2028, the top three teams qualified directly for the Olympic Games. Morocco is the defending champion, having beaten Egypt in the final of the 2023 edition. The next edition, the 2027 U23 AFCON, will assess the potential of this new generation of Indomitable Lions.
The qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON will take place between March and October 2026, with play-off matches in November. The draw for the qualifiers took place on December 19, 2025.
