Cameroon’s national football team is mired in unprecedented chaos on the eve of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with two opposing managers claiming authority over the Indomitable Lions and conflicting squad lists circulating. The crisis stems from a bitter power struggle between the country’s football federation, led by President Samuel Eto’o, and the Ministry of Sport.
The row erupted after the Sports Ministry unilaterally appointed Belgian coach Marc Brys, an action the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) immediately rejected as a “disregard of texts,” noting they were not involved in the procedure.
FECAFOOT, headed by the legendary former striker Samuel Eto’o, subsequently announced the dismissal of Brys, citing “professional failure” and accusations of “inciting” players to defy the federation. Eto’o then named David Pagou as the interim replacement.
However, the sacked Belgian coach, Marc Brys, insists his contract, signed with the Minister of Sport, remains valid. Speaking publicly following his dismissal, Brys detailed a highly strained relationship with the FECAFOOT president.
“Eto’o always tried to get rid of me as quickly as possible. From the very first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too big a threat to him,” Brys reportedly said, adding that he had grown tired of the volatile environment. “I have other ambitions than being constantly on edge. It’s too aggressive, too deceptive. I’ve had enough. Too much negativity to be able to work properly.”
The deepening crisis has resulted in a “dual-head coach” situation, where Brys, backed by the government, announced a squad list for the upcoming AFCON that includes star players such as goalkeeper André Onana, while the FECAFOOT-appointed staff put forth a conflicting roster.
According to sources at The Sun, it is wildly claimed that Eto’o deliberately called for Aboubakar to be dropped from the team in order to prevent his all-time goal scoring record from being broken.
Aboubakar, 33, is currently 12 goals away from becoming the country’s outright top scorer and could feasibly surpass Eto’o at AFCON over the next few weeks.
The saga took a bizarre new twist on Wednesday when Brys, refusing to accept his dismissal, issued a second Cameroon squad that reinstated the previously omitted trio.
Speaking furiously about his feud with the former Chelsea and Everton star, Brys told Flemish outlet VTM NIEUWS: ‘It’s always been Eto’o’s goal to get me out as quickly as possible.
‘From the very first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him.’
Referencing the initial squad that excluded Onana, Choupo-Moting and Aboubakar, he added: ‘Eto’o had left key players and leaders out of the squad. Because, of course, he had made that selection.
‘How can you go to the Africa Cup of Nations without a world-class goalkeeper? Or without Aboubakar?
‘It’s unbelievable, but actually, it doesn’t surprise me. It’s coming from someone who is narcissistic and thinks he’s the best.’
He also told TV5 Monde on Tuesday: ‘As long as there is no signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, Mr. Marc Brys remains. This is not up for discussion, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years.’
Eto’o, 44, has long butted heads with Brys and repeatedly stated an unwillingness to work with the Belgian during his tenure as Cameroon president.
Brys had already threatened to quit last year after his assistant, Joachim Munanga, was left off the federation’s official matchday list, a move widely viewed as an attempt to undermine the Belgian’s authority.
This governance dispute, which follows the nation’s failure to qualify for the recent World Cup, now threatens to derail Cameroon’s AFCON campaign.
In 2024, Eto’o was handed a six-month ban from attending national team matches by FIFA, after breaching two articles of the governing body’s disciplinary code.
A FIFA statement confirmed the breaches occurred around a FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup last-16 match between Brazil and Cameroon.
