World football governing body FIFA has backed French club Saint Etienne's decision not to release defender Alaeddine Yahia for Tunisia's African Cup of Nations squad. "FIFA's rules allow Saint Etienne not to release Yahia to the ACN," Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre told a press conference on Thursday. Lemerre has urgently called-up Yahia to his squad instead of Feyenoord defender Karim Saidi after he sustained a last-minute injury that ruled him out of the tournament. But the French club refused to go of Yahia, quoting FIFA regulations that state that a player can only be released for national duty if the club is given at least 15 days notice. The Federation of Tunisian Football (FTF) chairman Hamouda Ben Ammar confirmed he will make further contacts with Etienne's board as well as FIFA officials in order for Yahia to make Tunisia's squad in a friendly way. "If Saint Etienne insisted on their decision then we will opt to call either Sfaxien defender Amir El-Hajj Masoud or Ukraine-based player Anis El-Bosaidi to Tunisia's squad," Ben Ammar added. Tunisia play in Group C of the ACN that includes South Africa, Zambia and Guinea. The Carthage Eagles will begin their title defense against Guinea in Alexandria on Sunday.
