Cameroon forward Joel Tagueu has been ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations 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.
Seedorf's side kick off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday (18:00 BST).
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