Heavyweight boxer Francis Ngannou’s 15-month-old son Kobe has died.

The former UFC champion posted on X on Monday night: “Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone.

“My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he’s laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he’s not responding.

“I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most.”

The fighter’s manager Marquel Martin posted online saying that he along with “millions of others” will be praying for the Cameroonian.

Conor McGregor was among the fighters and fans to send their condolences to the 37-year-old boxer and former mixed martial arts (MMA) star.

“I am so sorry to hear of your loss Francis, my prayers are with you and your family at this time,” the Irishman replied on X.

Ngannou’s last bout was a heavy defeat by Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia. After the fight he dismissed the suggestion of returning permanently to MMA where he made his name.

Source: BBC

The crises rocking Cameroon football has reached another height after the World football governing body refused to acknowledge the newly appointed Marc Brys as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Belgian gaffer was appointed by the Sport minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi last month but the President of FECAFOOT Samuel Eto’o has refused to recognised him as the coach of the team.

After having mentioned the name of the coach in the Cameroon selection sheet, the governing body of football strangely retracted the name and left the coach’s box empty.

The ball is now in the court of the president of FECAFOOT who will validate the appointment of Brys to put an end to all this chaos.

The Indomitable Lions will play important matches next June against Cape Verde and Angola in the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Source: bsnsports

Cameroon’s new coach Marc Brys penned a contract on Monday but the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the football federation did not attend the signing ceremony.

Brys has been handed a 2-1/2-year contract by Cameroon’s sports ministry but the federation (FECAFOOT) was conspicuous by its absence at the event in Yaounde.

Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint the 61-year-old Brys, who has no prior experience as a national team coach and has not previously worked on the African continent.

FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o issued a statement on Monday, excusing himself from the unveiling event.

“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote Eto’o.

“Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony.”

His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.

Eto’o balked at Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the minister.

In Cameroon, the government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body FIFA.

Any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football.

FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team.

Earlier on the weekend, the minister had defended the appointment, saying he had acted in accordance with national and international regulations.

In a letter to FECAFOOT, Kombi said his ministry’s appointment of coaching staff “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations”.

He said FECAFOOT had suggested three candidates to the ministry but their salary demands ranged between 1.5 million euros and 2.5 million euros ($1.63 million and $2.71 million) per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

Source: Reuters

A war has reportedly broken out between the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) and the government itself, following the appointment of Marc Brys as coach of the Indomitable Lions.

In Monday’s edition of French newspaper Le Monde, it was reported that Samuel Eto’o, the president of Fecafoot, presented a list comprising three names to political leaders, who have the final say in the appointment of a new coach.

The coaches on the list were former Super Eagles manager José Peseiro, Frenchman Hervé Renard and 2006 World Cup winner with Italy Fabio Cannavaro.

Eto’o declined to endorse President Paul Biya’s selection, stating that the decision to appoint Belgian Marc Brys as coach falls under his own authority.

Alongside the Belgian coach, several individuals selected to join the management team have notably strained relationships with Eto’o.

Among them are former internationals Alioum Boukar and François Omam-Biyik, who will be part of Marc Brys’ technical staff.

They previously held these positions under the guidance of Portuguese coach Antonio Conceiçao but were dismissed by the president of Fecafoot immediately following the 2021 African Cup of Nations

Eto’o is advocating for the appointment of one of the coaches he has chosen to be the next manager of the Indomitable Lions, with Peseiro, Renard and Cannavaro his top three preferred candidates.

Peseiro would have been paid 1.5 million euros per annum if he had been chosen as coach of the Indomitable Lions.

The Portuguese is currently a free agent after running out of contract with the Nigeria Football Federation at the end of February.

Source: All Nigeria Soccer

The Minister for Sports and Physical Education has officially installed Marc Brys as head coach of the Indomitable Lions in a move described by some football commentators as counterproductive.

Cameroon Concord News understands that the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) reportedly interviewed three other managers ever since Rigobert Song was sacked and Marc Brys was not one of them.

However, Brys is not the only manager that remains in with a chance of gracing the Indomitable Lions managerial hot-seat as a cream of European managers including Italian Football legend Fabio Cannavaro who remains under consideration by FECAFOOT are expected in Yaoundé soonest.

This week promises to be Cameroon football biggest in recent years and the appointment of two different bosses by the Biya regime and the Cameroon Football Federation will set the tone of a deepening crisis.

Like any football nation, Cameroonians, ever since Song was sacked have not been shy to voice their opinions on who they believe should land the role. There have been no shortage of calls for a big and respected name and Brys is not one of them!!

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

Former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro is one of three coaches, who have been shortlisted to take over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

The other coaches are Herve Renard and Fabio Cannavaro.

This was contained in a memo sent by FECAFOOT to the Cameroonian sports ministry dated March 12, 2024.

It has been reported that Peseiro has demanded for a salary of about 1.5 Million Euros a year (more than 100,000 Euros a month).

Peseiro led the Super Eagles past Cameroon 2-0 in the knockout rounds of the recent AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

Cameroon have been embroiled in a controversy over the appointment of a new coach after the Sports Ministry appointed the Belgian Marc Brys to replace Rigobert Song as he is more affordable.

However, the FECAFOOT headed by Samuel Eto’o Fils have since countered this announcement.

The FECAFOOT emergency committee has now ordered Eto’o to name a new coach within 72 hours.

Source: Score Nigeria

The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) said on Saturday it has given its president Samuel Eto’o 72 hours to appoint a new coaching staff for the country’s national men’s football team.

In a statement, FECAFOOT said the decision was taken following a meeting of the body’s Emergency Committee held in the capital Yaoundé.

The meeting came barely two days after FECAFOOT expressed “great surprise” at the appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as head coach of the national men’s football team, calling it regrettable.

On Tuesday, the country’s Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said that the new head coach was appointed following “high instructions” of President Paul Biya.

Saturday’s statement said FECAFOOT “was not involved in the procedure leading to the appointment … in disregard of texts”.

Should Eto’o appoint a new coaching staff it will set in a “serious” football management crisis, said football analyst Joseph Mbah.

“It will mean that the country has one team with two different coaching staffs. This will surely deepen crisis in the football management body which is already facing criticisms,” Mbah said.

Brys was appointed to replace Rigobert Song, who had guided Cameroon to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and was dismissed in February following Cameroon’s poor performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Source: Xinhuanet

The Cameroonian Government has appointed Marc Brys as the new head coach of the national men’s football team without consulting the country’s football federation (FECAFOOT).

The surprise announcement, made by Sports Minister, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, on Tuesday, has left FECAFOOT blindsided and threatens to spark a conflict that could potentially lead to Cameroon facing sanctions from FIFA.

FECAFOOT released a statement expressing its “great surprise” at the unilateral decision, stating they had learned about Brys’ appointment at the same time as the general public. The Federation emphasised that this act came despite their agreement to cooperate frankly to find a beneficial solution for the Indomitable Lions following Rigobert Song’s dismissal in February.

The development underscores the delicate balance FECAFOOT President and former African Footballer of the Year, Samuel Eto’o, must strike. While striving to assert the Federation’s independence, he will be required to also tread carefully in a nation where matters concerning the national team are of high priority to the government, often overseen by long-standing President Paul Biya himself.

However, interference from governments in the affairs of football Federations has remained a sensitive issue for FIFA, with the world governing body frequently imposing bans on countries where such meddling occurs. Kenya and Zimbabwe are recent examples of countries in Africa that have faced suspensions, only recently being readmitted after resolving their respective crises.

Source: The Will

Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) did not know about the appointment of a new national team coach and were surprised by the sports ministry announcement naming Belgian Marc Brys.

Cameroon Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said 61-year-old Brys was taking over as coach of the Indomitable Lions following the dismissal of Rigobert Song in February.

But the federation said on Wednesday it was taken aback by the news, setting up the potential of conflict between the sports ministry and soccer federation which could lead to a ban for one of Africa’s footballing heavyweights.

“The Cameroonian Football Federation has learned, at the same time as all Cameroonians, the appointment to positions of responsibility for the national senior men’s football team. FECAFOOT expresses its great surprise at this act,” the statement said.

“This unilateral decision comes at the same time as FECAFOOT agreed frank cooperation to achieve a beneficial solution for the future of our dear Indomitable Lions.

“FECAFOOT intends to seek an explanation on this regrettable situation,” it added.

Normally, the football federation would appoint and pay its coaches but in some African countries this is done by the government, especially when federations are cash-strapped.

FECAFOOT is headed by former African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o, who had a storied career playing in Europe.

Eto’o has tried to assert some independence but has also had to tread carefully in a country where matters around the football team are high priority for the government.

Long-standing Cameroon president Paul Biya has often weighed in on team affairs, famously demanding that 38-year-old Roger Milla be included in the squad for the 1990 World Cup.

The veteran striker went on to score key goals as Cameroon became the first African country to reach the quarter-finals.

Cameroon have qualified for eight World Cup tournaments, more than any other African country, making the Indomitable Lions one of the country’s major assets.

World soccer’s governing body FIFA has frequently banned countries when governments interfere in the football federation’s affairs. Kenya and Zimbabwe are two African countries who have only recently had such a ban lifted.

The much-anticipated announcement of the new coach was made on Cameroon television on Tuesday.

Brys has coached clubs in Belgium, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, but this is his first national team appointment.

Source: Reuters

Belgian Marc Brys has been appointed Rigobert Song’s replacement as Cameroon’s national team coach, the country’s sports ministry announced on Tuesday.

The 61-year-old has coached 15 clubs in his career, in Belgium, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

His last job was a three-year stint with Leuven.

Brys’ assistant coach will be former Cameroon forward Francois Omam-Biyik, who scored 26 international goals between 1985 and 1998.

He takes over a team who were dumped out of the recent Africa Cup of Nations by Nigeria in the last 16.

Cameroon are currently top of Group D of African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, following a win over Mauritius and an away draw with Libya.

Song’s contract was not renewed by Cameroonian football federation president Samuel Eto’o after the AFCON exit.

Source: AFP