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

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s current contract with Bayern Munich is set to expire at the end of this season, but it is still unclear what, exactly, his future holds from that point on. Before it was announced that Thomas Tuchel would be leaving the club at the end of the season, it was pretty much understood that the Cameroon international would more than likely be leaving on a free transfer as a free agent, but now that is not entirely set in stone.

Per information from Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg (as per @iMiaSanMia), Choupo-Moting has not yet been notified as to whether or not the club plans on letting him leave on a free transfer or not. Amongst his teammates in the squad and in the dressing room, he is a well-liked figure and very much get along quite well with everyone, but the uncertain status of who Bayern’s next manager will be comes in to play.

Bayern still does not know who will replace Tuchel and the search is being spearheaded by Max Eberl, Christoph Freund and the rest of Bayern’s front office in concert with the supervisory board. Depending on who the new manager is, Eberl and Freund could open discussions with Choupo-Moting about a potential contract extension. It could very well be that Tuchel’s replacement would like for the striker to stick around for at least another season if it is feasible.

Source: Bavarianfootballworks

The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) has suspended 62 players, including the once-heralded 17-year-old AFCON 2023 sensation Nathan Douala.

These players are provisionally declared ineligible for league play-offs (MTN Elite One) due to allegations of age fraud.

The shocking revelation has sent shockwaves through African football, casting doubts on the integrity of youth setups and player eligibility.

FECAFOOT’s investigation uncovered a staggering age manipulation scheme, with players found to have falsified their ages, some spanning over a decade. Among the high-profile figures implicated is midfielder Nathan Douala, who gained prominence representing Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023, where he was listed as 17 years old.

However, FECAFOOT’s probe has exposed discrepancies in Douala’s age, leading to his suspension for providing false information under the charge of “double identity.”

FECAFOOT issued a statement, highlighting the suspension of the players and expressing concerns about the concealment of their actual ages.

Nathan Douala finds himself under scrutiny as the scandal surrounding age fraud during AFCON 2023 raises questions about his credibility and eligibility on the international stage.

The repercussions of the age manipulation scandal extend beyond Douala, impacting discussions on social media about the widespread prevalence of such practices within football youth systems across the continent.

Source: 3news.com

Rigobert Song was sacked as the head coach of the Cameroonian national team after the Indomitable Lions’ elimination at the Round 16 stage of the 2023 AFCON.

It was clear the former skipper of Camereon, Song, was going to be sacked as his tenure had been marked with indiscipline and poor performance.

2017 AFCON winner, now the head coach of Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos, has been linked with the Cameroonian job once again as Toni Conceicao, who coached them in the 2021 AFCON is also linked to return.

The latest coaches linked and believed to have been shortlisted for the vacant head coach role are Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann and French duo Raymond Domenech and Antoine Komboure.

It is believed that one of these legendary coaches will likely be confirmed as the head coach of the Indomitable Lions sooner than later.

Jurgen Klinsmann, former FIFA World Cup winner as a footballer for Germany in 1990, was in charge of South Korea in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup but was sacked after the tournament after failing to impress his bosses.

72-year-old Raymond Domenech was in charge of France from 2004-2010 where he took them to the 2006 World Cup finals against Italy. He last managed Nantes in the 20-21 season.

Antoine Komboure, 62, born in Noumea, New Caledonia, has managed PSG, Lens, and Strasbourg among many other clubs and has been shortlisted as a possible candidate to replace Rigobert Song.

Source: Sports World

During his address to the youth on February 11, 2024, the Head of State, Paul Biya, instructed the government to undertake a profound reform of football administration in Cameroon.

“I understand the importance you place on football. The state, in our difficult context, makes significant financial sacrifices in this regard. It is therefore entitled to demand better organization and better results. We will ensure this. The government, and particularly the Ministry of Sports, have received clear instructions on the matter,” declared the Cameroonian leader, himself a keen sportsman.

Promptly, hearings were conducted at the Prime Minister’s Office, involving even the president of the FECAFOOT, as part of government measures aimed at improving the management of resources allocated to football. The final report will be submitted to the president soon. Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Kombi Mouelle, has chosen not to renew the contract of Rigobert Song and his coaching staff. Additionally, an investigation has been announced by the Special Criminal Court (TCS) into the management of FECAFOOT, particularly regarding the use of public funds.

At the time, whistleblower Boris Bertolt had specified the 2.7 billion FCFA. This investigation, reportedly entrusted to Commissioner Oko Petit Joël, will focus on the allocation of funds by the state to FECAFOOT, estimated at nearly 30 billion FCFA, as well as the use of the 2.7 billion FCFA intended for the World Cup in Qatar.

It is necessary to look back to the eve of the World Cup to understand the causes of this situation. Indeed, a few weeks before the start of the 2022 World Cup, a subsidy of 14 billion was requested by the Cameroonian football governing body for the participation of the Indomitable Lions in the tournament. However, this amount was deemed too exorbitant by state decision-makers, who decided to grant only 4.176 billion.

Additionally, it was agreed that FECAFOOT should cover roughly half, which is 2.732 billion FCFA. Lacking the necessary financial resources to pay this amount, the head of FECAFOOT turned to the Cameroonian public treasury to secure a loan under certain conditions. He had promised that Cameroon would reach the final of the World Cup and that repayment would be made with the prize money bonuses provided by FIFA. However, the use of the 2.7 billion FCFA has become problematic.

Source: Afriquesports

Andre Onana believes he has turned the corner off the pitch after enduring a “difficult time” mentally during the early months of his life at Manchester United.

The Cameroon international joined the club from Inter Milan in July in a £47.2 million ($60 million) deal but a string of costly errors put him under huge pressure.

Onana, 27, said it had been tough to adjust to life in Britain.

“It took me six months or seven months not to play good, just to feel good,” he said.

“It was a difficult time for me. Now I’m feeling a bit better because everything was new. It was difficult for me to feel at home because of so many reasons, a new country.

‘I will shine’

“But now I’m feeling good. I don’t want to talk about my performance because I know the goalkeeper I am and I have done much more than what I just did.

“So, for me, the most important thing is to be set, to be happy and I will shine.”

Onana spoke openly about his challenging start to life in Britain ahead of United’s match against Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday.

The goalkeeper’s errors during United’s short-lived Champions League campaign were costly but his performances have since improved markedly and he believes he is now on an upward curve.

Turning point

“I think I had a turning point, but not on the pitch because, like I said, more mental because everything was different,” he said.

“Of course, I moved last season from Amsterdam (Ajax) to Milan, but that adaptation was quite easy.

“But it took me seven, eight months here. It was just time to learn and just go game by game. I hope we will end on top.”

Onana said he had received support from his teammates as soon as he arrived at Old Trafford.

“They always believed in me, they told me from the beginning, ‘Andre, listen, the quality is there, it’s just a matter of time,’ he said.

Move on

“I am very happy, especially with the supporters, the fans. They were nice with me even in difficult periods and I’m very thankful. I can only thank them.

“I think everything is behind me. Now we have to move on and I think together a great time will come.”

Source: TrtAfrica

After two years at the head of the Indomitable Lions as the Manager, Rigobert Song, has been sacked due to poor performance.

In a release issued by the sports minister, Song was advised that at the end of his deal on 29 February 2024, his contract will not be renewed.

Song helped qualify the Lions for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after beating Algeria and also helped the country’s national team to qualify for the 2023 AfCON in Côte d’Ivoire but the national team’s performance at both events was dismal at best.

Song will therefore be unemployed as from tomorrow 29 February 2024. However he has a talent for dancing and a penchant for fashion. He can deploy his efforts and talents to dancing and fashion to keep himself busy.

See press release issued by the country’s ministry of sports.

By Haggai Fung Achuo in Yaounde