This Tuesday, April 2, the Cameroonian Ministry of Sports announced the appointment of Marc Brys as coach of the Indomitable Lions without the agreement of the Football Federation. It was enough to trigger an open crisis between the president of Fecafoot, Samuel Eto’o and the Minister of Sports Narcisse Mouelle.
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“The Cameroonian Football Federation learned, at the same time as all Cameroonians, of the appointment to positions of responsibility within the Senior National Men’s Football Selection (…) This decision taken unilaterally arrives at the very moment when FECAFOOT has agreed to execute the Very High Instructions of the President of the Republic “. Just a few hours after the announcement, by the Ministry of Sports, of the appointment of Belgian coach Marc Brys and his staff, to replace Rigobert Song’s team, the Cameroonian Football Federation did not hold back to uncheck a press release that resembles a response to a frontal attack.
Fired by Eto’o, recalled by Mouellé
Because it is a real act of casus belli posed by the Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle, towards the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o. The two men, called to work together, have never well hidden their differences which are now out in the open. As if to go far in the “provocation”, the ministry integrated into the staff of Marc Brys, François Omam-Biyik and Alioum Boucar who were in the team of ex-coach Antonio Conceiçao fired by Samuel Eto’o.
“ Benjamin Banlock, former secretary general of Fecafoot who resigned in May 2022 after denouncing the poor management of Eto’o, is appointed coordinator of the team ”, also teaches us our correspondent in Yaoundé, Joel Wadem.
🔴 OFFICIAL! The technical staff of the Cameroon national team 🇨🇲:
▪️Marc Brys (coach)
▪️François Omam-Biyick (assistant coach 1)
▪️Ashu Bessong (assistant coach 2)
▪️Dany Nounkeu (Team Manager)
▪️Christophe Manouvrier (Physical Trainer)
▪️Alioum Boukar… pic.twitter.com/s8ZUHqafqw— AllezLesLions (@AllezLesLions) April 2, 2024
While Cameroon has been mired in a sporting crisis for months, this decision by the Ministry of Sports can only aggravate the situation and lead, in the medium term, to the intervention of Fifa. The body led by the Italian-Swiss, Gianni Infantino, often reminds us of this : “Fifa member associations have an obligation to manage their affairs with complete independence and to ensure that no third party interferes unduly. (…) Any failure to comply with these obligations may result in sanctions provided for in the FIFA statutes, which may go as far as the suspension of the federation concerned. “.
In its press release, Fecafoot promises to communicate “ without delay on the reaction she intends to reserve ” at this ” unfortunate situation “.