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

Samuel Eto’o, at the helm of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fécafoot), will find himself with limited options regarding the appointment of the next coach for the Indomitable Lions.

According to Jeune Afrique, the absolute control wielded by the head of Cameroonian football in 2022, during which he chose Rigobert Song as coach despite the contrary opinion of the Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, will no longer be in place.

At that time, the minister had preferred to retain Toni Conceição, the Portuguese coach, whose dismissal would have cost Fécafoot a minimum of 1.6 million euros. With no word from their superior, it seems unlikely that Song and his team will be retained beyond the end of their contract, which ends on February 28th. “We are leaning more towards a departure. However, it is necessary to await official confirmation,” revealed a Fécafoot representative to Jeune Afrique. After the failed negotiations with the former coach of Gambia, Tom Saintfiet, it is strongly considered that an interim coach will take place on the bench during the March international break, according to the media. The ambition is to appoint a competent coach in time to prepare the Indomitable Lions for the third and fourth rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

“It’s the presidency that will have the final say”

“This time, it is President Paul Biya who will have the final say in the choice of the new coach,” confirms Jeune Afrique, citing sources close to Fécafoot and the Ministry of Sports. The selection of the future coach will follow a rigorous protocol. “A call for applications will be launched, and the CVs submitted to Fécafoot will be evaluated by a technical committee, which will establish a shortlist of probably three candidates. They will then be interviewed. The final decision will rest with the presidency, as was the case before. ‘The one who finances has the final say, it’s logical.

This doesn’t mean that Samuel Eto’o cannot support a candidate, but he will not be the one making the final decision,’” explains a source quoted by the magazine. According to Jeune Afrique, the disappointing performances of the Indomitable Lions and various scandals affecting Fécafoot’s reputation are detrimental to Samuel Eto’o. “The state is fully aware of the federation’s precarious financial situation, which needs to settle compensation for Toni Conceição and his team. Payment to some suppliers is suspended, and the conflict with the French equipment manufacturer Le Coq Sportif could prove costly,” divulges a source. “Thus, it is conceivable that the state will intervene to support Fécafoot, at least in part, in the face of these problems,” adds the source.

Source: Afrique Sports

Cameroonian football icon, Samuel Eto’o, is going through tough times. His tenure at FECAFOOT since 2021, aimed at reviving and enhancing the image of football in his country, has been marred by one setback after another. The latest blow has hit hard.

As often said, being a great footballer doesn’t automatically translate into being a competent leader. While this hypothesis is frequently confirmed among football coaches, it’s also proving to be the case with Samuel Eto’o in Cameroon. A true African living legend, now 42 years old, Eto’o has represented Cameroon globally with honor. With remarkable achievements in his football career, notably with FC Barcelona in Spain, Inter Milan in Italy, and Chelsea in England, the former striker is struggling in his role as a leader at the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT).

Elected amidst wild scenarios in December 2021, Samuel Eto’o was heralded as the “Messi” who would uplift Cameroonian football from the doldrums. With an enticing project and wonderful ideas, the Yaoundé-born native seemed destined for success. However, after some initial promising moments, things began to crumble at FECAFOOT with internal defections or dismissals causing friction. Known for his strong personality, Eto’o doesn’t shy away from making bold decisions, regardless of others’ opinions.

With his tough approach and clashes with local football figures and even former “rebel” Lion Indomptables executives, Eto’o has accumulated many enemies over his two years in management. Today, whether it’s Geremi Njitap calling out FIFA or CAF to intervene or Joseph Antoine Bell, among others, criticizing the state of affairs, discontent is rife. Speaking of the national team, it’s another sore point that adds to Eto’o’s woes.

In the face of Rigobert Song’s inability to steer the Lions Indomptables to success, whom Eto’o had chosen to lead, the FECAFOOT president finds himself under heavy criticism. After the 2023 AFCON held in Ivory Coast, President Paul Biya broke his silence to condemn the football federation president and his underperforming coach. As promised, the veteran head of state decided to intervene regarding Eto’o’s role.

“The state, in our difficult context, makes significant financial sacrifices in this regard (football). It is therefore entitled to demand better organization and results. We will ensure this,” stated Paul Biya in a national address, as reported by Africafootunited, concluding with, “The Government and particularly the Ministry responsible for sports have received clear instructions on the matter.”

This latest humiliation for Eto’o sees FECAFOOT sidelined from the process of reviving Cameroonian football, particularly in selecting a new coach. It’s a clear message to Eto’o that despite his grand entrance and apparent presidential blessing, he’s being ousted from a significant decision-making process.

On one hand, it’s a significant admission by Cameroonian leaders regarding FECAFOOT’s resounding failure. After orchestrating his resignation, which was ultimately rejected by the executive committee members, perhaps it’s time for Eto’o to gracefully step aside, permanently, to salvage what little “honor” remains. At this rate, things aren’t likely to improve anytime soon, and it remains uncertain how the CAF and FIFA will respond to numerous complaints about the Cameroonian football icon.

Source: Afrique Sports