Replacing Rigobert Song: it is the presidency that will have the final say ⁰

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