YAOUNDE - Cameroon midfielder Alex Song has retired from international football after being left out of their 23-man squad for this month's African Nations Cup finals in Equatorial Guinea, he announced on Tuesday.

Song is not in the plans of Cameroon coach Volker Finke, who has ignored the 27-year-old since last year's World Cup in Brazil where he was sent off for elbowing Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic in a 4-0 group stage defeat.

Song got a three-match ban from competitive internationals from FIFA and, despite talk of a late call-up to the national squad, the player, who is on loan at West Ham United from Barcelona, has decided to concentrate on club football.

"Since the World Cup in the summer and my subsequent exclusion from the Cameroon squad for the African Cup of Nations I have taken the decision to retire from international football," Song, who has 47 caps, posted on photo-sharing site Instagram.

"It is true that there were some discussions of late to include me in the squad for this tournament but I feel after a lot of careful thought and numerous discussions with my family this is the right decision.

"My love for my country will never change but I want to take time to focus purely on domestic football and start to rebuild my career at West Ham United. I wish Cameroon all the best and the team will always be in my heart.