Cameroon forward Joel Tagueu has been ruled out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) because of a heart defect.

A scan undertaken during the Indomitable Lions’ recent training camp in Qatar detected a problem with the striker’s coronary artery.

A statement on the federation’s website says there is a “non-zero risk of sudden death on the field”.

Head coach Clarence Seedorf is expected to call up a replacement for the 25-year-old.

According to team doctor Prof William Ngatchou, Tagueu, who spent last season with Portuguese top-flight side Maritimo, had been undergoing similar scans for over eight years but those tests failed to highlight any issues.

The five-time champions kick off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Guinea-Bissau by 6.00 pm later today.